Taiyoo Soshite Tsuki Sun and Moon
by Sinead Rivka
Summary: .:Beast Wars:. Protoform X was considered a "freak" to many, including many Predacons. However, what most Predacons didn't know, was that their own Tripredacus Council had done an experiment of their own. R&R, please!
1. Prologue A

Taiyoo Soshite Tsuki  
(Sun and Moon)  
By: Sinead

Prologue, Part One  
Year 5874

_Tsuki . . . Tsuki!_

The girl sat up straight in bed, and panted. She heard the call, and it scared her. She knew the voice intimately, and she had _known_ that he would never again call her, since . . . since that argument. But he was going against his word of honor. And honor had been drilled into him by his father . . . Satsujinhan'nin. Never had he gone back upon his word . . . Never, until now.

She got out of bed, and paced. Her nose twitched, and she sighed, rubbing at it with a paw, then resumed pacing again. Something was completely wrong, but what would scare him . . . no . . . _harm_ him, since she had violated her own vow of indifference toward him, and had let herself find his pain . . . But what could be so bad, that he would call her?

_Tsuki . . ._

With a sigh, she opened the window in her room, and stepped out onto the balcony. A familiar human stood there, watching the stars. Tsuki shifted forms, then walked over to her. Kelsi put an arm around the young woman's shoulders. "Something wrong, Tsuki?"

"I don't know."

"Tell me."

"You remember that me and your son parted on bad terms. Swearing that we'd never speak to each other again. But he's broken that vow that he took on his honor, and I heard him call."

Kelsi sighed, hiding her happiness, knowing those long two years ago that this would happen. A hand gently brushed Tsuki's long hair, with the same tone of voice accompanying it. "Out of that form, daughter mine, and come here."

Tsuki ran to her father's arms, and heeded the request, coming to rest in her tall and lithe robot mode. "Dadda . . ."

He sighed, and held her back gently. A bell rang, and Kelsi left to answer it. A yell was heard, soon followed by the sound of steel being drawn. The father and daughter ran out in beast mode, each ready for battle. A boy and a girl, both looking to be the same age, stood in the doorway, each facing a sword. Satujinhan'nin glared from one face to another, seeing familiar traits in both. Tsuki gently pushed the tall warrior's sword aside with a paw, to stand before the two. Her tail waved lazily from side-to-side, as she looked the two humans over curiously. Wrangler, her father, was snarling somewhere behind her, and she could sense that he was bunching his muscles for a spring. Kelsi lowered her sword, glanced at the panther, then sighed, seeing that to fight two young children . . . not a good idea. "Wait, Wrangler. Name yourselves, twins."

"Katrina, and this is my brother, Tamm."

"Why are you here?" Satsujinhan'nin asked, lowering the sword-tip to the floor. "Who sent you?"

Katrina looked to Tamm, who said, "Our mother has been forbidden to come here. But she learned that she was wrong, and she wanted to send her apologies."

Wrangler's eyes clouded over with red, and with a roar, Satsujinhan'nin reverted to his beast mode, and pinned Wrangler down, trying to talk sense back into his head, while Tsuki sighed, and changed to her human mode, in a flash of light. Her silvery-white hair settled along her back, down to her waist, and her midnight-black eyes came to rest gently upon the girl. She walked closer, seeing Katrina tremble. The black eyes met blue ones, and the elder one said, "Tell your mother that it is her own duty to come here, and that if she wants our forgiveness . . . she faces us."

Her eyes softened, and she embraced first the girl, then included the boy as well. They were young, barely thirteen, _if_ that, and scared. Tsuki realized this, as they clung to her, not letting her go. Wrangler's hands rested on each of the twins' heads, and they looked up at him in surprise. He smiled sadly. "Forgive me, younglings, I . . . I still bear some sorrow from the past."

Tsuki look at him, and said in a matter-of-fact voice, "They should have some tea."

Satsujinhan'nin chuckled, and said, "Always the sensible one. Come, then, and we'll serve you as best as we can."

He left with the twins in tow, and Tsuki looked to Kelsi. "I have to go after him."

"You know that you've never jumped that far," the human replied softly.

"I know, Kelsi, but I have to go. And stealing a ship is out of the question." She sighed, and bowed her head, her long, straight white hair hiding her face. The half-human, half-Predacon whispered, "I still love your son, Kelsi. I love him with everything I am. And I can't stop loving him."

Kelsi placed her hands upon Tsuki's shoulders. "You know that you're as good as I daughter to me, Suu. And if the two of you want to really marry, not just be connected, as you and he were when you were two, then you have my and Sats' blessing. He acknowledged that two years ago."

Tsuki felt her father embrace her again, and she buried her face into his shoulder. His voice rumbled thoughtfully. "My Little Moon is growing into a Full Moon."

"No, Da . . . I'm always your Little Moon."

"You'll be happy with him, once you two get over all of your differences." He played with a strand of hair, then whispered, "Please don't leave tonight."

Tsuki sighed, and as they walked to the kitchen, whispered, "He's not opening the link. I want to see his face, before I suggest it to him, and I don't know how much time he has."

Wrangler nodded, and saw that no matter what he said, she was still going to go. As they entered the kitchen, they saw Kelsi hand Katrina a mug. "Tsuki! Make yourself useful, and hand Tamm that mug over there."

The twenty-one-year-old picked up the mug, and placed it upon the table in front of the boy. He touched it, then yanked his hand back, looking up at her. "How did you manage to wrap your hands around that?!"

She pulled her hair aside, to reveal metal strips riding along her cheekbones, and two coming down from her hairline, above her eyebrows. She then pulled her sleeve up, to reveal one on the back of her hand, as well as one running up the underside of her lower arm, as well as the top. They were all a milky-white color, the color of the moon on a clear night. He blinked at them, and reached a hand out tentatively, to touch them. She held her arm closer, so that his sister could do the same. After a moment, Tamm asked, "Did that hurt?"

Tsuki smiled, and chuckled gently. "No. I was born with them. It's just a side-effect of my lineage, and I'm glad that the side-effects aren't any worse than they have to be. Actually, they're pretty cool, come to think of it," She replied, chucking as she sat. "Now. Tell me about your mother. Who did she send you here for?"

Tamm shook his head, and replied, "All she said was, 'Wrangler will recognize you. Tell him I'm sorry.'"

Tsuki sighed. "And did she mention anything about me?"

They shook their heads. Tsuki closed her black eyes, and said, "Willow is her name. She . . ." Tsuki's eyes opened again. "She's my mother. I'm your half-sister."

Katrina looked at the white-haired warrior, and asked, "How old are you?"

"Twenty-one." They were silent, and Tsuki said after a moment, "When you're ready, you should go. Answer whatever questions she asks, especially about me, my condition, whatever. And," she added, dark eyes flashing, "tell her that I'm waiting for her apology. She _is_ on this planet, I hope."

Tamm nodded. "Yeah, she is."

"Please tell her then, that I have to go for a while, but I'd like that apology face-to-face."

Katrina saw the young woman stand, and paused. But affection overrode caution, as she leapt over, and wrapped her arms around Tsuki. Tamm followed suit, and the half-human smiled sadly. "Even though this is the first time I've met you two, I have the feeling that it isn't the last. And I love you, no matter how short of a time I've known you. You're good kids. Hm? Katrina? Oh . . ." Tsuki chuckled, and bent, to wipe the girl's tears away. "I'll see you again. I promise. Tamm, look after your sister, and Katrina, you'd better look after your brother. He looks like a trouble-maker. Both of you, though, please look after your mother, okay?"

They nodded, and Katrina wiped the last of her tears away. Tsuki smiled, and stepped away from them. In a flash of light, she changed into her fourth mode, a winged being. All three of her other modes were represented in this one. She looked to her father, saying, "I have to jump _now_, Da . . . I'm sorry. He's weakening. Kelsi, please tell Ai that she's in charge."

Kelsi embraced the angel-like being, as did Satsujinhan'nin. "Tell him that we've been waiting for him to get back in touch, Suu. He knows that we forgave him long ago, and that we're never going to stop hoping for him to come back."

Tsuki embraced the older bot again, and replied, "I will. On my honor, Father, I will."

She smiled once more at the twins. "Take care, you two. See you around."

She closed her eyes, and created an energy ball between her hands, focusing upon Taiyoo's Spark signature. Then, she found a safe midpoint between her and him, for a short rest. Finally, with a determined look upon her face, she was gone.

Katrina sighed. "Do you really think that she'll be back?"

Wrangler chuckled, and ruffled her hair. "When my daughter says that she'll do something, she will."

"But she said that she'd see us again . . . not that she'd return," Tamm pointed out.

"You weren't watching her eyes close enough then," Kelsi said, smiling, and leading them back to their seats. She sat between them, and said, "Now. Tell me how Willow is doing."


	2. Prologue B

Taiyoo Soshite Tsuki  
(Sun and Moon)  
By: Sinead

Prologue, Part Two  
Year 5874

Rattrap looked to Rhinox, disbelievingly. "'Ya . . . 'ya can't be serous, Rhinox . . . 'e made it though th' night?!"

Rhinox nodded gravely. "What's more, is that he was looking better as well."

Optimus shook his head. "Who would have thought?"

Silverbolt looked at the door, behind which lay the bot. He blinked his yellow optics, hearing a low noise from the room. He turned his muzzle-like face back towards Rhinox, who was deep in thought. "He, um, he said a word . . . or a name, sir."

"Tsuki. I know. I only wonder what he's talking about," Rhinox said sadly. He continued in a murmur, "His Spark is unnaturally strong . . ."

"What was that?" Optimus asked.

Rhinox looked at his leader, then sighed, and sighed, shaking his head. "Nothing. I'm going back in, to see if his vital signs are steadying yet. He might even be conscious by now."

Before anyone could say anything, before they could ask him anything else, he entered the sickbay, and closed the door after him. He knew that Dinobot wouldn't be awake yet. Not with the wounds that he sported over his entire frame. They were deep, and numbered many. Rhinox had done the best he could, with the limited amount of supplies, but something was odd about the whole deal.

Dinobot had healed. Not repaired himself, but actual healing, as an organic being would. None of the Beast Warriors, whether Maximal or Predacon, had that ability.

None, but Rampage.

Rhinox shook his head. Dinobot's Spark could be seen though this chestplate, pulsing, but the rate at which it pulsed neither completely matched a normal Cybertronian's, nor even Rampage's Spark's unique pulse-rate. It was something else, something that Rhinox didn't understand, even through he had measured the beat intervals carefully, thinking that he had made a mistake.

He returned his mind to the task at hand, and he moved swiftly and silently, for one of his size. Finally, once he was sure that Dinobot was still on his way to stabilizing, he sat on a stool, then watched the warrior's uneven, labored breathing. His gaze shifted to Dinobot's optics, which were black.

Yet, his voice was strong, if hoarse.

"Where . . . is she?"

Rhinox put his hand upon the bot's shoulder, hoping that he wouldn't try to get up. He knew that at times Dinobot had forgotten how strong he was, and had managed to surprise himself back into proper behavior. "Tell me who, Dinobot. Who are you talking about?"

"Tsuki . . . my Tsuki . . ." His voice seemed to almost change, as it faded, and he then seemed to be younger for a moment. "Please . . . please tell me she wasn't taken again . . ."

With a jump, Dinobot was fully awake, but Rhinox's hand kept him pinned to the bed. "You get up, I'll knock you flat on your skidplate faster than you can blink. Who was taken? Why?"

Dinobot looked up, his face worried. "I . . . I spoke?"

Rhinox nodded, pulling his hand away. "Yes, about someone. You seemed worried about her. You were worried about her being taken again. It was an odd name . . . something almost Japanese, I'm guessin'."

His face fell. "Tsuki."

"You called her your own."

"In a way . . . she was."

Rhinox sighed. "I'm not going to tell the others that you're awake yet. You need your rest, and I have to make sure that you're on your way to recovery."

"You want to know who she is, don't you," Dinobot said quietly.

The technician chuckled, then replied, "Everything has its time and place, Dinobot. That, and there's nothing that you can do about it."

Dinobot nodded slowly, then relaxed back upon the bed, and whispered, "But . . ." He sighed. "Tell Primal something, if you would."

"And that is?"

"'Taiyoo is here.' He'll understand."

Optimus looked at Rhinox, his face showing his complete shock. "Dinobot said . . . _what_?!"

"'Taiyoo is here.' What does it mean?"

The leader didn't answer. His optics darted for a moment around the room before coming to rest upon his hands with a sigh. "You'll wish that I've never told you, old friend. But I will. Now I understand why Dinobot survived the valley, and why he acted the way he did around me."

Rhinox sat, and watched the younger bot, who had been holding a great secret for far too long. "Optimus, you're as close as a younger brother to me. Tell me."

He sighed. "It officially started when I was twelve by Terran years. Experiments by the Tripredacus Council were secretly being made, trying to combine our own race, with humans." He stopped, and then hissed, "Slag it, but that _would_ explain his behavior!"

Rhinox blinked once. "Optimus."

The younger bot blinked, then seemed sheepish. "Sorry. I only remembered something. Those experiments were at the same time that the Protoform X project was being done, but by the Maximal Elders." He gained the gaze of his technician, and said, "It didn't start out too well . . ."


	3. Chapter One

Taiyoo Soshite Tsuki  
(Sun and Moon)  
By: Sinead

Chapter One: Vision  
Year 5853

The boy's screams were heard throughout the base. Loath heard them, and grinned, then looked over his shoulder, at a shadowy bot there. "See? He's alive."

The shadowy one was silent, as he watched the boy writhe against his bonds, trying to get away from the pain, but he was too young to understand that the pain was caused by his own Spark. A hand rested upon the clear steel, and he looked at the boy's face. He said not a word, but turned, and left. Loath thought that he understood the silence, and called in through a microphone, "You stay still, boy, you might stop the pain."

Loath turned, and left as well, then entered a darkened room. "X is stronger. His bonds will not hold."

"I don't see the purpose in a Predacon witnessing this," a disembodied voice replied.

The blood-colored bot stood in a circle of light, and said, "They are doing experiments concerning cross-breeding of our species, and the humans."

"And you know this how?"

Loath grinned. "Instinct."

"Who was the Predacon," another voice asked.

"One by the name of Satsujinhan'nin."

"They're using Japanese names again? Odd. One would have thought that they would have chosen from a different language this time."

"This time may be different. They never got past the first stages of their other experiments."

A door opened, and the first voice said, "So be it. Leave, and say nothing of this to anyone."

Loath nodded, bowed, and left.

Little did he know, that he was expendable. He was dead before the next morning, never to spread the rumor of what the Predacons were doing.

Little did he know, that he was correct.

The boy twitched, and his optics activated, to see someone above him. It was another Maximal, one who was kind to him, and who stayed by him in his pain, during the nights. She was the one who had also put him through this torture, the one who had given him over.

She was his mother.

"I thought that you had to leave."

He surprised himself, by speaking like he did. Never before had he spoken in a complete sentence. He was simply too young. Then again, he was also an experiment, so he was always going to be different than everyone else.

His mother smiled. "I will have to, soon. But not now. You're still too young."

"I don't want you to leave."

She rested cool fingertips upon his forehead, and whispered, "Remember me, my son, when all else fails. When everything else is dead, when everyone else fails you, I'll still be here, in your mind and Spark, with you. Remember my voice . . ."

He fell asleep, and his mother left. The Predacon was waiting outside for her. She went with him, and they went to one of the Predacons' moons, not saying a word the whole way. The silent one opened the door, and walked out first. The mother followed him. His crimson optics were cold and glittering, like any true Predacon warrior's should. He was the Captain of the Guard, and there were none fiercer. Nor were there any who could beat him in one-on-one combat. He had seen this mother's son, and she knew that he had. He turned away, snorting at her weakness of showing her tears. She glared at him, and said, "You have no children. You don't know the pain of seeing one being tortured before your own optics."

He replied with an odd voice. She thought that it was because of some past injury, since it was so gravelly, yet it was natural, and it ran from father to son in his family. "I will have a child. And I will _not_ weep at the hardships that lay before that youngster."

The door opened, and they were joined by another Predacon, one who seemed more Maximal, and he had passed for one many a time. He bowed slightly to the Captain of the Guard. "Sir."

The Captain nodded once, and two humans were brought in, both female. One looked meek, the other fierce. The meek one was about five-foot-three, and had straight, platinum-blonde hair that ended half-way down her back. Her eyes were soft brown, and to a male's eye, she had just the right curves, in just the right places. She wore long jeans, and a loose top, that fluttered at the tiniest breeze. She stood with her head down, hiding behind her hair.

As for the fierce one, she had her hair hidden behind a royal-blue bandana, oddly enough, nearly the same shade of the Captain's main coloring, but parts had fallen loose since she had put them up, declaring her hair dark brown, and quite curly. Her eyes were also a dark blue, but hard, glittering. Instead of ample curves, she sported well-toned arms and legs, as she was wearing a sleeveless shirt, and somewhat short jean shorts. Freckles dotted her cheeks, and a scar ran across her left kneecap. With a glare, she stood tall, crossed her arms over her chest, and leaned against the wall, by the meek one.

The Captain looked at them both, then at the other male Cybertronian. A silent agreement was made, and three scientists walked in. One said in old Cybertronian, the language of the Deceptacons, "Captain, you choose first."

"Already did," he said in the same language. "The bold one."

"Do you accept his decision?" they asked the other male.

"Of course. Why should I choose one who I would only bicker constantly with? Pardon my saying, Captain, sir, but those two can have the privilege of killing each other first."

The Captain grinned, and cracked his neck lazily. "Better me than you, you're saying."

"With all due respect, sir, yes."

With a nod, the decision was passed, and the attention was turned upon the Maximal. She looked at him, and said, "My son . . ."

One of the scientists nodded. "We can ease the transition pain of his Spark, but you have to stay close to him for a time, and report upon the tiniest change."

"Please. Anything."

One of the three scientists handed her a package and a recording device. "You know what to do."

She nodded, and left. The attention was returned to the other four, and they followed, the meek one with the second Predacon, the bold one with the Captain. She looked up at him. "Want to tell me what you were saying in that other language of yours?"

He looked at her. "Hold your tongue until it is time for you to speak."

"Really. Wanna make me?"

He spun, wrapped one arm around her waist, and lifted her up to his waist, carrying her with his other hand over her mouth. "Bite me, and you'll wish that you had never met me."

_I already regret that!_ she thought with a mental growl.

Within the hour, they had the samples from the two humans and two Predacons, and the originals had been cloned, then frozen. The four were then dismissed to their quarters, as the humans would be staying, until the experiments had succeeded. The meek one spoke. "None of us know each other's names, and I can tell that we'll be here a while."

The Captain snorted. "Bah. Why bother?"

He was hit over the head by the aggressive human. "Because we should know what you're called, so we can scream at you for when you've ended up screwing something up."

She found herself gripped between his hands, and was lifted to his eye-level by her shoulders. Her bandana fell off, and her curly hair fell forward into her face. "Did you want to hit me again? Hm? How about it? I can kill you easily, fleshling. It is nothing more than a glare at you, and your head would be replaced by a charred, burning lump."

"Try it. I dare you. Those scientists need what I can give them. Although, you never know, tin can, that you, yourself, could end up producing the female's reproductive cells, by the PMS-ey way you're acting." She grinned nastily up at him.

He dropped her, and sat again. "Touch me again, and nothing can stop me from killing you."

The other Predacon blinked once, then said to the female he was paired with, "Name's Wrangler."

The meek one smiled, blushed, and replied, "I'm Willow. That's . . . oh. She might not want me to tell you her name."

The other female snorted, and pulled her hair out of her face, and pulled it into a ponytail at the base of her skull, before replacing the bandana, keeping the shorter curls away from her face. She said, "I'm Kelsi."

The Captain looked at Kelsi again, and then realized that neither of the two could have been over nineteen Terran years. They could even be as young as sixteen. He sighed, and started to leave the room. However, before he had closed the door, he said, "I'm known as Satsujinhan'nin."

Kelsi walked into the suite the four were staying in. She had just taken a walk, exercising sore muscles, and had seen something. Quietly, she went over to Willow, and asked, "Are you sure that we're the only ones here?"

Willow looked up from the book she had been reading, and gaped at Kelsi. "What."

"I saw four pairs of humans. All female. They were also paired up with male Predacons, like us. My only question, is why."

The quiet human whispered, "How old were they?"

Kelsi sat across from her. "The oldest I saw was only about twenty-five. I think we're the youngest in this group."

Wrangler came in, and blinked at Willow. "Something wrong?"

The human looked up at him, and shook her head. "Why?"

"Well, we've known each other for three weeks now. I can tell your emotions easily." He looked at Kelsi. "And you might want to see the Captain. Well, you won't _want_ to, but he said he had to speak with you."

"Pompous tin can idiot, isn't he?" Kelsi growled. She walked out of the room, and knocked on the door for Satsujinhan'nin. The door slid open, and he indicated that she enter. She did so, and he shut the door. With a glare, she went over to a window, and looked out at the world beyond. "Why did you demand to see me."

"They succeeded with the experiment."

Kelsi looked up at the Predacon, and asked, "And?"

He sighed, and stood next to her. "Forgive my actions over the past three weeks. I was under stress from not only this experiment, but from knowing that if it succeeded, I would have to resign from the Guard."

"It's been your life, hasn't it."

"Yes."

Without wanting to, Kelsi started to see this bot from a different perspective. He was someone who, like her, had faced a load of hardships from life, and didn't know where to turn. He didn't look at her, but she put her hand on his arm, then embraced his waist, crying into his torso. Satsujinhan'nin looked at her in surprise, then allowed himself to embrace her, although awkwardly. She managed to calm down, though, and say, "I never wanted to be a mother this early."

"You won't be carrying the boy."

"Boy . . . he'll be male?"

"Yes. It was planned by those infernal scientists."

Kelsi looked up at him, and then rested her cheek against his torso again. "So did you want a daughter instead?"

Satsujinhan'nin nodded. "Yes. Females, no matter the race, the species, are twice as fierce and ruthless as males in battle. They carry no regrets. The males in my Guard are outnumbered two-to-one by females at the current. You, yourself, have proven that human females are no exception to the rule."

"I would have liked a daughter as well."

He paused. "Sometimes, Kelsi, things are meant to be a certain way."

There was silence, and soon, the sun set. Satsujinhan'nin looked at the human again, and saw that she was falling asleep, even though she was still standing. He picked her up, and lay her on her bed, in the room that they shared. She looked up at him, and he whispered, "They'll be giving me an alternate mode soon. It's so that I can train our son in alternate forms of fighting. He'll have the same beast mode as I will."

"Can you choose what it will be?"

Shaking his head, he pulled a holographic projector out of his sub-space pocket, and turned it on, showing her the creature that he would be taking as a beast mode. "_Velociraptor mongoliensis_. A pack-hunting predator from prehistoric Earth. Assigned, as was our child's gender."

She smiled, and said, "The name means 'Speedy Hunter of Mongolia.' I did a report upon it for eighth grade."

He pushed her brown hair out of her face gently, for one of such strength, and asked, "How old are you, Kelsi?"

She looked up at the ceiling. "Sixteen."

"Primus . . . you're not much more than a child."

"I know," she replied softly. She placed her arm over her eyes, burying her nose in the crook of her elbow.

Satsujinhan'nin took it away, and wiped her tears gently. "And for me to think that I would try to kill you. I never knew that . . . that I would ever . . . that I could . . ."

Kelsi didn't need to hear the end of the sentence, as she wrapped her arms around the previous Captain of the Guard again, and sobbed into his shoulder. He held her back, and sighed, stroking her hair. It was going to be a long time, before either of them would feel as if they were back to their old selves. Maybe even never again . . .


	4. Chapter Two

Taiyoo Soshite Tsuki  
(Sun and Moon)  
By: Sinead

Chapter Two: Birth  
Year 5853

There was a meeting for all of those who were involved with the experiment. The humans were all grouped together, separate from the Predacons, although there were a few who glanced back at their partners, as if wanting to sit by them for protection from what may happen. Willow was sitting by Kelsi, silent. She and Wrangler had only been informed that morning, that their experiment was finally successful, and she was numb with shock. She had thought that it was never possible. She never _wanted_ it to be possible. Wrangler glanced at her, then at Kelsi, who returned his mournful look. He returned his gaze to the front, where the head scientist was stepping up to the podium.

She started her speech. "It has come to my attention, that all of you have been successful. Now, it has also come to my attention, that many of you, the humans, specifically, are eager to leave for your home. You have a choice, and that is to stay, and help raise the child that you have helped create, or to leave for Earth. If you leave, then you shall forfeit any and all rights over the child, and he or she shall be raised by the father alone. You shall never have any right to speak to them or to meet with them until they are old enough to agree to a meeting. They will be given that choice at the age of twenty-one, when they are nearly fully mature by Cybertronian standards.

"At the end of the week, there shall be another meeting, and those who are leaving for Earth shall step forward, and shall thus leave. Dismissed."

All stood, and the couples met with each other. Kelsi and Satsujinhan'nin shared one look, then embraced. They had grown much closer over the two weeks since they had been informed that they would be the parents of a boy. In a sense, they had forgotten their first impressions of each other, and had started to see the true person within. The smaller human whispered, "I will never leave you. Thoughts like that never crossed my mind. It's too cruel to have someone raise a child alone."

He smiled, and lowered his head, to rest his forehead upon the top of her own head. "Thank you."

Wrangler was walking away with Willow, who was saying something. Kelsi looked over to them, and she and Satsujinhan'nin caught up, to hear, "– too young for the responsibility. I'm going home."

Wrangler looked heartbroken. He and Willow had been close ever since they had met, and they shared a lot of the same views in life. Willow ran to their rooms, and Wrangler looked at the other pair. Kelsi embraced him, and he allowed himself to be comforted by her, knowing that she belonged to Satsujinhan'nin. Another female came over, and once Wrangler pushed gently out of the embrace and walked away, asked, "Are you staying?"

Kelsi nodded, and the girl, about three years older than her, asked, "What's your name?"

"Kelsi. You?"

"Aolani."

Kelsi looked at the straight, black hair, the dark eyes, and the tanned skin, then recognized that the girl had to have been from Hawaii, or of descent from that area. Aolani asked, "Then why did your partner turn away like that?"

Kelsi indicated Satsujinhan'nin. "_He's_ my partner, not Wrangler."

Aolani smiled, and bowed to the Predacon. "Hello."

He nodded once, keeping up his stiff front. Kelsi shook her head at his formality, then asked, "Are you the only other one? Or are there others staying?"

She sighed. "Only two others are staying, out of all ten of us."

"Then six are leaving."

"Yes."

Kelsi wanted to hit something. Even though she was young for becoming a mother, she knew that it was a responsibility, and not some flimsy experiment, that would lose it's popularity once all the requirements were met. Her hands balled into fists, and with a yelp, she relaxed them, seeing blood starting to seep from cuts from her fingernails. Aolani started to walk forward, but Satsujinhan'nin wrapped his arms around Kelsi, and tugged the bandana off of her head, where it had been holding her curls back again. He quickly ripped it in half, then tied the separate halves around her hands, covering the small wounds. Kelsi sighed, and bowed her head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that."

He kept one hand upon her shoulder, and said, "Aolani, all the others who are staying, and tell them to meet in the final dormitory in the east wing after sunset. Tell them to bring their partners."

"What of the fathers?" Aolani asked.

Satsujinhan'nin blinked slowly once, then nodded. "Yes, them too. We have things to speak about."

The group arrived on time, when Willow was out preparing for leaving, with the other five. Three humans entered, as well as eight Predacons. The fathers whose human partners were leaving were sitting silently, while the others were quietly talking. Kelsi walked out of the bathroom, dressed, and rubbing her hair with a towel. "Oh. They're here."

Satsujinhan'nin nodded. "Yes."

She sat by him, and he bandaged her hands. While he started doing that, Kelsi started, not looking away from the white bandages being wrapped around her palms. "We have to talk about how we're going to raise these kids. We know that they'll be half-human, half-Cybertronian, and that there will probably be some side-effects of that lineage." She looked around the room, and then released a sigh. "First, though, most of us don't even know each other. I'm Kelsi, and this is Sats . . . screw it." She laughed, and blushed, looking to the Predacon. "_You_ say it. I never got it right."

"Satsujinhan'nin."

One of the Predacons looked up. "Captain?"

"Bloody idiot. Why did you not inform me that you were a part of this?"

"I thought that you would disapprove, sir."

He shook his head. "Don't call me 'sir.' I resigned. I knew that this is something that will take up all my time now. Well? Introduce yourself."

He smiled. "I'm Baron, and this is Aolani, my partner."

Aolani hit him lightly, then smiled at Kelsi. Another human, her dark skin proclaiming her African lineage, said in an accent, "My name is Fola, and this is my partner, Rapid."

A Japanese girl said next, "I'm Nari, and this is Bastion."

The fathers who had been forsaken, said their names only.

"Stormsteel."

"Wrangler."

"Fiendfire."

"Hazard."

"Wraith."

"Brasswill."

Kelsi looked at them sadly. "I'm sorry. But you're the ones that are the most special out of all of us. You're the ones that we'll be centered around, to help you with what we can." She sighed. "Right. So, now that we know each other, how should we organize this group?"

"Democracy, or at least having an elected spokesperson," Hazard said.

"That's almost _Maximal_ of you," Wraith sneered.

Kelsi glared at him. "Don't take your anger at having your faith broken by your partner at him. He's going through the same thing as you are, and you know it. If you don't have anything constructive to say, shut up and sit down."

Fiendfire looked at Wrangler, Hazard, and Stormsteel, then said, "I nominate Kelsi."

She looked at him in shock, while the other three had second, third, and fourth his movement. "Do I have any say in it?"

Satsujinhan'nin sat her down. "Not by Predacon standards."

"Great. I'm the youngest here, and I'm expected to lead. Good-bye, common sense; hello insanity! Man, you guys . . . I'm gonna hurt you all, once I get a chance."

The others laughed at that, and the informal meeting started.

Wraith pounded on the door, seven months later. Kelsi untangled herself from her partner's new beast mode, and opened it, yawning. "What time is it?"

"I . . . my daughter . . . Primus, Kelsi!"

The human understood immediately. "You and Stormsteel are the ones whose children are paired, right? Is he awake?"

"And waiting down there!"

"So why are you getting me?"

He paused. "I'm scared."

She nodded, and called in, "Sats! Wake up!"

He soon came, and they went to the laboratory, where Wraith was called in. The pair started to walk over to the viewing room, when Wraith called, "No, please . . . stay with me."

Kelsi smiled. "Only Cybertronians are allowed into that room. I'm sorry."

Wraith growled something to the scientist, whose optics widened, and he nodded. "Kelsi, we've decided to do away with that rule, since there are still four humans here."

Wraith grinned to the human, while Satsujinhan'nin whispered in the old language, "What did you say?"

"That I'll eat his pulsating Spark if he doesn't allow her in."

"Thank Primus that you convinced him."

"I'm a slagging hit bot. I kill for fame and fortune. Of slagging _course_ he believed me!" Wraith walked up to the tub, where a small figure floated in suspension fluid. He placed a hand upon the tube, and then said, "Daughter."

There was a beep, and the liquid began to drain. Kelsi watched, and then gripped Satsujinhan'nin's hand, without knowing that she had. The Predacon looked at their joined hands, and then pulled her closer, letting her hold onto his arms, which were wrapped around her, still watching the process. The child was in human form, or so it seemed. Small bits of metal, soft, almost the same color of her olive skin, shone. Wraith reached in, and pulled her out gently, then held her against him, wonder upon his face. He cradled the child, watching her small, round face.

Kelsi broke free of Satsujinhan'nin's arms, and snatched the soft towel that a scientist was about to hand him, then brought it over to Wraith herself. He blinked, then handed the child over to her. With a smile, she patted the infant dry, then landed a firm, final pat upon her back, causing the child to cough, then set about wailing. Wraith looked at her in shock, and she soothed the child. "She had to clear her lungs, Wraith. Calm your circuits. She's quiet now. Here, support her head."

He took the child back, then blinked up at her. "How did you know what to do?"

She smiled, and held up a diaper. "My mother is a midwife, the third in line of a family business. I was the one who had chosen to take her place, when she retired. My younger sister was also interested, so I'm glad, 'cause it doesn't look like I'll be able to continue it on."

Wraith smiled again, and bowed his head, acknowledging her sacrifice. "Thank you. I'll tell the others."

Kelsi smiled. "Remember the words everyone had me look up? For the children's names?"

He nodded silently.

"Love, in Japanese, is Ai."

The Predacon looked back at the child. "Have you heard, then? My . . . _my_ daughter . . . Ai."

Sure enough, he told the others about her, and soon, there was another infant around. This was Uso, who was going to be raised by his father alone. A week later, Nari and Bastion's daughter, Shizukesa, was born. Three days after that child, it was Hazard's daughter, Shinri. Baron and Aolani had the next child, whom they had named Shi. That was a hard day.

Aolani watched the screens in fear, as the life signs became weaker and weaker. Baron held his hand upon her shoulder, and she threw it off, then broke into a run, at the glass tube. Kelsi started forward, but was held back by Satsujinhan'nin. She watched in disbelief, as Aolani leapt up, and kicked at the glass, landing all her weight upon the tube. It shuddered, and she kept running back and forth, leaping up to kick it. Finally, a leak sprang, and Kelsi struggled against her partner's grip. He held her tighter, but carefully moved, so that his arms were around her waist. She bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Sats."

He looked at her. "Hn? For what?"

"This. Sorry."

She managed to twist, and pull up sharply with one knee. Satsujinhan'nin's optics bugged out, and he fell to his knees, wincing. Kelsi kissed his head, then ran over to her friend, and now-mother. Just as Aolani hit the tube one final time, it burst, exploding. Kelsi shielded the other human from the glass, feeling the sharp pain, as glass, metal and fluid alike hit her, while Baron had grasped the child from the tube in exact timing, then shielded her. Silence prevailed, but before anything could be said, a thin wail was heard. Kelsi let Aolani up, then stood, panting. Satsujinhan'nin managed to stand, and he walked over to her, limping slightly, and wincing at every movement from the waist down. He walked around Kelsi, to look at her face.

Tears rolled off of her cheeks, and he reached for her, only to have Aolani intercept him, and place the child in her arms. Wispy dark brown hair was plastered against the infant's crown, and Kelsi smiled. Aolani whispered, "Rapid said that we could switch names. This little one's already faced death."

Kelsi smiled, nodded, and handed the child back. She couldn't speak because of her pain. It was almost overwhelming. Satsujinhan'nin lifted her carefully, holding her as he would a sleepy child, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, laying her head upon his shoulder. Aolani saw the abuse her friend had taken on, in order so that she would have her full strength to tend to her child. Kelsi's back was almost fully bloody from lacerations from the glass and metal.

However, she said nothing, but only held the child close. "Her name is Shi. Stay alive, Kels. We need you."

Those were the last words Kelsi heard, before everything went black.

Satsujinhan'nin sighed, and pulled off the cloth that Kelsi had upon her forehead. Her fever had finally ended, after having to save Aolani. As if by some odd phenomenon, the human opened her eyes, and saw her partner there. She blinked, and whispered, "I'm so sorry, Sats."

He smiled, and pushed her damp curls out of her face. "You did what you had to, and I don't blame you one bit."

"Were there any other 'births'?" Kelsi whispered, closing her eyes as his fingertips stroked her face gently. The patterns were familiar, and she realized that he had been doing that while she had been sleeping.

He smiled, and she heard that in his raspy, grating voice, as he said, "Brasswill's son Kirau, and Fiendfire's son Tatakai. They were 'born' without any snags."

Kelsi sighed, and there came a knock upon their door. Satsujinhan'nin called quietly, "Enter."

A scientist said, "Your son is ready."

They nodded, and the scientist left, passing Wrangler as he did so. The Predacon had heard. Quickly and quietly, he spread the word. Soon, all would be down there with their children, waiting.

Satsujinhan'nin carried Kelsi partially, and she asked, "What are we going to name our son?"

The once-Captain, once-harsh, now-kind Predacon smiled, and replied, "We'll see what he looks like, first."

As they entered the laboratory, they saw all the others there. Even though most of the infants were bawling at the noise level, the parents were cheering. Kelsi blushed. "Stoppit, and calm your children down."

"But you said a good wailing session was healthy for them!" Wraith called over the crowd, holding Ai in his metal arms as gently as a butterfly.

She glared at him, then walked into the lab. Satsujinhan'nin smiled, and Kelsi went up to the glass, then looked in on the child within. He was small, and his coloring differed from the other children's. While the metal on their skin was close to their skin's shade, his was an odd blue, nearly a royal blue. Yet, she looked at his hair, a golden color that seemed to darken into a bronze color, if the lighting struck it a certain way.

The liquid began to drain, and soon, the upper half of the tube slid into the ceiling. Satsujinhan'nin walked up behind his partner, and she looked into the tub, and then, not caring about her sleeves, reached into the suspension liquid, and reached for the child. Satsujinhan'nin reached around her, and held her hands still, as they were trembling, while she pulled the infant free, and cradled him against her chest. He was small, but she felt a strength flow from him. Someone held out a towel, and she looked up to see Wraith there, holding Ai in one arm, the towel in the other. With a smile, she accepted it, and patted her son dry, while his father held him. The older Predacon wrapped the child in the towel, then gave him a gentle, yet hardy, slap upon the back, and he wailed. Kelsi laughed softly, and took the small infant back.

Satsujinhan'nin smiled, and said, "I have no idea of a name that will suit him."

"We'll name him later, then."

The Predacon looked at the small thing, within his partner's arms, the mother of his son, and he wrapped his arms around them both, not caring who saw him. She closed her eyes, and sighed, hearing the child's small mewling, as he curled into her, for warmth.

The next day, Jinsei was born to Rapid and Fola. He cried from the moment he hit the air, and didn't stop for a good hour. Once he did, though, he slept deeply, not making a sound. None were happier about that than Fola herself. Then, two days later, Wrangler's daughter was born. She was as odd-looking as Kelsi and Satsujinhan'nin's son was. Who, by the way, hadn't been named yet.

White hair graced her head, and her eyes were as dark as midnight on a moonless night. She never cried, and Kelsi had to slap her back to surprise her into a wail, since she hadn't responded to her father doing so at first.

Wrangler looked at her, and then held her up, away from him, while holding her carefully. She curled up slightly, and he said, "Hm."

Kelsi took her son back from Satsujinhan'nin. "What?"

"These two are paired, correct?"

"Yes . . . and?"

"All the others have opposing names. For example, Ai means love, and the infant she will be with when they are older, is called Kirau, or hate. Shinri means truth, and Uso means lies. Shizukesa means peace, while Tatakai means war. Jinsei means life, and Shi means death." He paused, and said, "My daughter, little though she is, looks almost like the moon." He smiled at the pair. "And your son, like the sun."

"Sun and moon . . ." Satsujinhan'nin said. "Kelsi . . . do you like it?"

She was smiling, as she kissed their son's crown. "Taiyoo is your name, son."

"And Tsuki is yours, daughter," Wrangler whispered, smiling, knowing that everything would go as it had been for aeons. But something felt different to him, once he had felt the slight weight of his daughter within his arms. Something was more real, more . . . substantial.

Kelsi looked down at her son, nestled within her arms. A human instinct had possessed the little one, and he had tried more than once to suckle. Satsujinhan'nin had roared with laughter at the look on the teenager's face, as she blushed, reaching for a bottle to feed Taiyoo with.

"Sats, I don't see what's so funny about this."

He was still laughing too hard to reply.

"Satsujin."

She cursed under her breath, then growled, "Satsujinhan'nin, you bloody pervert."

Finally, he calmed down enough to stroke their son's golden crown. "Yes?"

". . . at least he thinks that I have something of sustenance under my shirt."

That sent the Predacon off his rocker, and he walked out of the room, laughing. Wrangler walked in with a fussy Tsuki, and blinked at the grinning human, hearing the usually never-heard laughter of the ex-Captain. "Do I really want to know?"

Kelsi shook her head, and he placed Tsuki gently upon the couch beside the human, to shift to his beast mode. He was about to crawl up beside Kelsi, when he saw that Tsuki wasn't wailing anymore. Taiyoo had stopped feeding, and was still as well. Kelsi gently turned him so that he could see the other infant, then watched their reaction to each other intently. Satsujinhan'nin had walked back in, when he had heard silence, and watched as well, when his son burbled to Tsuki, almost drooling on her, had Kelsi not shot her hand out, catching it, and wiping it on her jeans.

Tsuki blinked her dark eyes up at him, then sighed heftily for one of her small size. Her eyelids drooped, and she was soon asleep. Taiyoo whimpered, and Kelsi turned him back around to finish off the bottle she had held between her knees the whole time. Wrangler returned to his robot mode, and picked his daughter up, sitting next to Kelsi. Satsujinhan'nin sat upon her other side, and watched his son quietly.

Little did they know, that this was the beginning of something that was much more than what seemed to be a mere experiment.

This is their story.


	5. Chapter Three

Taiyoo Soshite Tsuki  
(Sun and Moon)  
By: Sinead

Chapter Three: Growth  
Year 5855

"No! Mine! Gimme!"

"MINE!!!"

"NO!!!"

"AAAAEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"

Uso was fighting over a toy with Tatakai.

The others were playing quietly, and seemed almost odd, for the humans, to see the children this quiet together. However, all their Predacon partners had insisted that Cybertronian children, no matter how young they were or what faction they had been born in, played peacefully most of the time, forming bonds that lasted for a lifetime. Satsujinhan'nin and Baron had known each other since they had been this young. Baron still insisted upon calling Satsujinhan'nin by "Captain," although it was in fun. The two wrestled then, and the once-leader always won.

Stormsteel picked his two-year-old son up, as Fiendfire picked up Tatakai. "Boys. Enough. Play nice, or we're going home."

Kelsi hid a smile behind her hand, as she looked to Aolani. Those two had hated each other, until recently. Their sons were amazingly quick to fight with each other, and so the fathers had wanted to set them the right image of respecting each other, and working out their differences. Now, Fiendfire and Stormsteel were starting to become the best of friends. Aolani and Kelsi returned to their conversation. The Hawaiian whispered, "So? Are you still a . . . ?"

Kelsi blushed. "Look, we don't know what could happen."

"So I take it that's a yes."

"Well . . . I don't see anyone who I'd cheat on the big softie with. So yeah, I'm a virgin. Whoo-hoo, ye-eah." Kelsi chuckled, seeing Satsujinhan'nin's bemused face across the room. "And he's reading my lips again. It's a great life, ain't it?"

Aolani laughed, and her daughter started to stand, holding onto her knees. Kelsi looked over at her son, who seemed just as drawn to Tsuki, as Tsuki was to him. They played with each other quietly, and even missed each other when it was time for a nap, or for bed. They were months ahead of the others, mentally, and Wrangler, Satsujinhan'nin, and Kelsi had started to come to the conclusion that they had been given something to advance their mental capabilities during their development in the tanks.

Three techs came in, and handed small laptops to each of the fathers, then to the paired fathers, then left as silently as they had come. Oddly enough, all the children had fallen silent, and watched them come in, and leave. Taiyoo was actually _glaring_ at the door. Kelsi looked at Satsujinhan'nin, who picked up both Taiyoo and Tsuki, and walked over to Wrangler and Kelsi. The young girl clung to her father, once she was safe in his arms, while Taiyoo reached for his mother. She ran her fingers through his short golden hair, and he turned his face into her chest, murmuring. She smiled, and held him, while Satsujinhan'nin seemed to be growing more and more angry by the moment. He was reading the laptop. Kelsi reached for it, but he quickly put it away, his crimson optics glittering as coldly as they had been when he had first met her. Kelsi reached up to his face, and rested her fingers upon his lips, feeling his breath come quick and short. Once he felt the contact, he jumped, and looked back at Kelsi. She looked up at him sadly. "It's time, isn't it."

He replied by embracing her, whispering, "Be strong, Kelsi. Please. Be strong."

The children were still unconscious, and Kelsi knew that her son was in pain. She had felt it, as any mother would have. Wrangler was to her left. To his left, were Rapid and Fola, looking at Jinsei, then Baron and Aolani looking at Shi. Those two infants had been paired. Wrath stood alone, looking at his Ai, while Brasswill watched Kirau's chest rise and fall steadily. Bastion and Nari stood together, their arms around each other, while watching Shizukesa; Fiendfire's head was leaning against the glass, while he listened through the barrier, to his son's, Tatakai's, breathing. Hazard and Stormsteel watched Shinri and Uso. That final pair were the most challenging of the infants who went through this procedure.

Silence was the common language, but most things were communicated through a glance or small sound. A sigh of relief, when breathing steadied; a smile of victory, when a yawn appeared upon a face; a chuckle, when a soft snore was heard through the glass.

Then, Taiyoo's eyes opened, light blue depths reflecting the sky. He stretched, and then blinked again, and sat up, to look over at his parents, his curls disheveled. He was in a white outfit, and he looked over at Tsuki, then leaned over, and put a chubby hand upon her shoulder, patting it insistently. He wasn't fast enough, when she lashed out, and he sat back with a whining yelp. That woke all the others up, and they all seemed to pair off, into five pairs, each content to be looking at the other.

Tsuki was still lying back, when Taiyoo leaned over her head, and said, "Soo-kee."

She giggled, and Wrangler and Satsujinhan'nin looked at each other, then back at the infants, as Tsuki replied, "Tie-yo?"

They burbled back and forth, laughing, as the others soon began to do. Kelsi was shedding tears, and Satsujinhan'nin pulled her against him, smiling. "They all survived."

"Thank God." She looked up at him sadly. "But this is only the beginning, Sats."

He nodded. "I know. And who knows when it will end."

A Maximal showed up later that week. She walked into the nursery/playroom, and saw Satsujinhan'nin. "Do you remember me?"

He stood, leaving Taiyoo with Tsuki and Wrangler. "Yes."

"I have something for the scientists."

He nodded, and she took a step closer. Before she could take a second step, four of the children had ran up to her, smiling. They were all emotion-sensitive, and always seemed to know who needed to be played with, when the others were sad, scared, or just plain down. Jinsei, Shi, Shizukesa and Tatakai waited for a response from her. She covered her optics with a hand, and Shi wrapped her arms around the elder's leg. "Play!"

The Maximal looked down, and Shi insisted, "Play!"

Kelsi smiled. "Well, they won't be satisfied, until that's done. Hey! You lot! She'll be back!" The human looked to the Maximal. "Won't you?"

A slow nod, to which a smile was added to, seemed to send a cold chill though the human. She herded the children over to another game, allowing the Maximal to follow her partner. She sighed, and sat, feeling Taiyoo climb into her lap, and curl up against her. Tsuki reached up for her father, and he went to his beast mode, a panther, and scooped her up in one wide padded paw, then lay outside of the large playpen. Tsuki curled up with her father, and he said, "Kelsi, are you okay?"

She looked at him, and shook her head. "I'm trying to figure out where I've seen that Maximal before. You _know_ that we haven't been out much since the children came about, but she seems really familiar."

"She was the one that you saw, when we had first met, a little over two years ago."

As he said it, the faces and voices clicked together, and she nodded. "Yes, of course."

"And aren't you celebrating your eighteenth birthday soon?"

Kelsi chuckled, and said, "Please don't spread that around. I'd like to keep it quiet."

He made a neutral sound, and the last two of the children, Shinri and Uso, were picked up by Hazard and Stormsteel. Wrangler handed Tsuki to Kelsi, while he shut off the lights, then joined her, and took his daughter back. He sighed, and said, "Don't tell Satsujin, but I know what the children will be going through next."

Kelsi nodded, and asked, "What is it?"

"They'll be testing them, for Spark strength. Only . . . did he tell you what they had done?"

The human shook her head, and Wrangler said, "You know that the children have Sparks . . . and so did the scientists. They combined the Sparks of the children that are going to be together."

Kelsi stopped, and looked at Taiyoo, sleeping in her arms. She held him closer, and Wrangler whispered, "He's going in first, and Tsuki will be next. They're separating the tests, into the boys, then the girls. They combined their Sparks, so that if a test began to tax the child, then they would have the other to rely upon. They would not die, but only be drained."

Kelsi looked at him again, then hardened her face, and held Taiyoo slightly tighter. He sighed in his sleep, and she kissed his curls, sighing in return. As they entered their shared quarters, Satsujinhan'nin embraced her, as Wrangler put his daughter to bed. The Predacon took his son gently, and put him into his bed, in the room across from theirs, and returned to Kelsi, who held her arms out to him, like her son often did, and he picked her up, holding her tight. "You know about the schedule."

She nodded against his shoulder. "I don't want to see him go through this, but . . . he'll need me. He'll need both of us."

Her partner carried her in, and laid her on their now-shared and larger bed. He sat upon the side, and said, "I've wanted to ask you something for the past year, now, Kelsi."

She reached up, and rested her palm upon his face, tracing his features gently in the dark. She ran the tip of her finger along his straight nose, and whispered, "You know that you can always ask me anything, Sats."

He took her hand, and kissed it, then gently rolled her over, and rubbed at her back, kneading the scars there. She sighed, as some of the pain abated, and he asked, "Will you . . . will you please stay with me?"

She turned back over to look at him. "What are you really asking?"

He pulled her close, as he whispered, "Marry me."

Kelsi wrapped her arms around his neck, and buried her eyes under his jaw, as she replied in a soft, almost-scared-sounding whisper, "I thought you would never ask."

Satsujinhan'nin chuckled, and pushed her back upon the bed, holding her tight, while she laughed. Soon, though, they were still, and watched each other silently. He sighed, and said, "Do you know, that the only time you've kissed me, was on Shi's birth? Even worse, it was informal!"

Kelsi blinked at his tease. "Is that so? Hmph. We most certainly can't have that . . ." her voice continued in a whisper, "now can we?"

He blinked at her, and she pulled herself close to him, whispering, "I love you."

They kissed, not knowing that their son had been watching. Taiyoo blinked, then went back to bed, and looked up at the ceiling. His mind was expanding, growing faster than it had before . . . before he and Tsuki had become something more than brother-sister. He sat up, and thought, _Sooki._

He heard her yawn, then reply, _Go t' sweep._

_Nuh-uh._

_Fine. Waddya wan'?_

He blinked, then thought, _D'ya know tha' we coul' do thi'?_

He knew she got out of bed, and he climbed out of his own, then met her in the living room. They sat across from each other, and watched each other. Finally, Tsuki shook her head. _Can't speak right, yet._

_D'ya think tha' the White People know?_

To the children, the "White People" were the scientists, since the children had known of a world of white which were the labs, that was where the White People were from, and where they go all the time. They were people that the children feared and disliked at the same time. Tsuki felt Taiyoo's confused anger. _Mum an' Da 're afraid, angry 'bout sumthin'._

_You saw sumthin' too._

He nodded. _They hugged. An' . . . an' did sunthin' with their moufs._

Tsuki reached out towards Taiyoo, and he put his palm against hers, a sign of friendship and love, even, between the two. To them, it signified their being equal to each other.

Their night meeting over, the toddlers went back to bed, not knowing that _they_ were the ones now being watched.

Kelsi walked back to Taiyoo's room, and whispered, "How's my son?"

Taiyoo looked up, and Kelsi saw guilt upon his young face. She picked him up, and he sighed into her shoulder. She rubbed his curls. "Taiyoo, I know that you two see more than we know, and I know that you and her understand more than you can say. I love you all the same."

"Momma."

Kelsi smiled. "You'll both live a hard life, Taiyoo. I want you to always look after Tsuki, no matter what. I know that she'll always be looking after you. Her father had asked her that, last night."

He nodded, and Kelsi kissed his forehead. He looked up at her, and reached up for her face, resting his hand against her cheek. Kelsi smiled, and kissed it. "My baby boy . . ." She shook her head. "Go to sleep. Momma's here."

She put him back in his bed, and he curled up, still looking at her. With a smile, Kelsi pulled the blanket up around him, and said, "I love you."

His eyes finally closed, and Kelsi stroked his curls again, then heard a soft knock upon the door. Satsujinhan'nin came out of their room, and answered it. The human sighed, and returned to her bed, staring out the window. She knew who was at the door, and even when Satsujinhan'nin walked back in, his emotions brimming over, she couldn't bring herself to comfort him.

None of the parents slept deeply, that night.

Life sucked.


	6. Chapter Four

Taiyoo Soshite Tsuki  
(Sun and Moon)  
By: Sinead

Chapter Four: Investigating  
Year 5862

Taiyoo yelled, and hit the wall with all his might, sobbing, leaving quite a dent behind. He looked at the still form in the lab, and turned away again, hiding his face in his hands. He was in his new-found robot mode. He heard his parents come in at a run. Soft hands gently pulled his own hands away from his face, and he looked into his mother's dark blue eyes. She placed her hands on either side of his face, and silently pulled his head to rest upon his shoulder, letting him sob into it brokenly. The last test had left him weak for three days, but never as weak as Tsuki. She was just this side of going into a coma.

Wrangler was in with his daughter, but had looked up at the noise slowly. Satsujinhan'nin shook his head at his oldest friend, indicating that there was nothing that could be done from his end. Instead, the father put his hand on his ten-year-old son's shoulder, and said, "Taiyoo."

The younger bot's sobbing increased, and Satsujinhan'nin pulled him away from his mother, and placed his hands upon his shoulders. "Taiyoo, look at me, son."

The boy did.

Calmly, slowly, Satsujinhan'nin searched his son's optics, as he had done with countless recruits. Then, with a sigh, he pulled his son towards him, and embraced him, letting go of his pride, but also taking on a new pride, seeing how his son cared for his life-partner, young though they were. Satsujinhan'nin sighed, and said, "Don't be ashamed of your emotions, Taiyoo. Take pride in them, wether they be love, sorrow, hatred, fear . . . anything. They are the signs of a sentient being. Even _I_ am proud of what you are showing for Tsuki. You have each other, and you'll both survive."

Taiyoo nodded, taking his father's advice to heart, and said quietly, "I don't want her to be hurt."

"None of us do."

Taiyoo pulled away sharply. He had inherited his father's crimson optics, and his young voice was already starting to deepen. "Then why agree to create us."

Kelsi didn't touch him, but she said, "Because there was no other option. Not even your father knew about this one simple fact until this very moment, but we, the humans, were abducted for this. For _you_. We had no choice. Some became retreated into themselves, like Tsuki's mother did, and six were allowed to leave. The other four of us stayed, so that we could look after the fathers who were left, and the children who would be born. Essentially, we stayed for you. This is my responsibility, to raise you, and nothing could sway that."

Taiyoo looked at his mother in a new way, seeing someone barely twice his age, but also someone who had seen hardships, and lived through them. He lowered his head, changed to his human form, and ran to her, burying his face in her shoulder. She smoothed his curls, looking up into Satsujinhan'nin's shocked face. She blinked slowly, then lowered her head again, resting it against Taiyoo's own.

Wrangler threw something at the glass, and once all three were looking at him he indicated Tsuki. Her eyelids were starting to flutter. Taiyoo ran in, and skidded to a halt beside her bed, placing his hand over her own, palm-to-palm, and looking into her face intently. Her dark eyes opened, and she saw her father first, then looked to her left, and saw Taiyoo, whose face was openly depicting his worry. She smiled, and whispered, "I'm back."

Satsujinhan'nin gently turned Kelsi to face him, and then embraced her quickly. "Kelsi, why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Sats, I didn't want you to be hurt, knowing that I had been taken from all that I had held dear, once. I only wanted to live in the present, with you, once I saw that you weren't the tin-headed idiot that I once thought you were."

"Kelsi, love, I would have only wanted to comfort you."

She sighed, and wrapped her arms around him, whispering, "Satsujinhan'nin . . . just hold me."

He did, smiling sadly, knowing now, what she had been really crying about, ten years ago, the first time that they were able to completely open up to each other.

"What?!"

It was six months later. Taiyoo looked to Tsuki, who looked at the other eight children behind her. They were blinking in confusion. Their parents hadn't known about the Protoform X project. None of them, except for Satsujinhan'nin. Tsuki shook her head slightly, while Taiyoo asked, "So you're pitting _us_ against _him_? Hmph. I don't see the logic in this."

The scientist glared at him. "Pity that both of your parents have above average intelligence. Even more is the pity that they didn't teach you to hold your tongue. You shall be observed together, and nothing more."

"You're insane, if you think that X will leave the children be," Satsujinhan'nin growled. "And never tell me how to raise my son."

The scientist ignored the last comment, while answering the first. "There will be more than enough protection of our children from him." He turned, and glared at the other parents. "Any resistance, and you all shall be removed from the program, leaving your children in our care alone."

Not a word was said, while the ten-year-old children silently watched their parents, telling them though eye-contact alone, that either everyone will return, or none will return. They were as close-knit as any great fighting task force, as Satsujinhan'nin said once, and five times as cunning. They would all survive.

The opaque steel slid up into the ceiling, and the children shifted to their robot modes, ready to draw weapons. A single child was sitting in the center of the room, watching the group coldly. His green optics gleamed almost evilly, which caused some of the timid ones to shift uncomfortably. Tsuki blinked once at him. _Taiyoo, stand at the back. Reassure the timid. I'll try to speak with him._

_He might attack, Suu._

_That's **his** problem._

She nodded once, then walked closer to the clear steel, and asked, "X?"

"What."

"I'm Tsuki."

"So?"

She smiled, and asked, "Did you want to talk, or something?"

He stood, and blinked. In a flash of movement, he had tore through the clear steel, and was running at Tsuki. Taiyoo's feet felt rooted to the ground, as he watched her flip upwards, then come down hard upon the twelve-year-old's back, the edge of her sword pressed against his skull. "Back down."

"Will I?"

He twisted in such a manner, that he was able to throw Tsuki up against a wall. That was when the others ran, and circled around her, all waiting for his next attack. Oddly enough, Tsuki was laughing, as she pushed her way forward. "You really got me, you little bugger! Hah! Who would have thought?"

"I'm used to fighting dirty. You don't stand a chance."

A voice came over the intercom. It was deep, yet young. The owner of the voice couldn't have been more than sixteen. "If you care for your life, you'd better stay on your guard."

"Yeah? And who am I taking advice from?" Tsuki snapped in return.

X snickered. "My elder playmate. Depth Charge."

Tsuki's heightened sense for emotion picked up something of disgust from Depth Charge. With a blink, she asked, "Don't sound surprised, Depth Charge, when I'm asking you what are you disgusted at. We can read emotions like a book."

"Why would you care."

Tsuki blinked up at a camera, then saw a hologram of the young bot appear. He looked younger than he sounded. She blinked at him, then said, "Well, you could be talking about us, or . . ."

"The whole deal is absurd. Scientists playing Primus."

X blinked at the hologram, but said nothing. Shizukesa asked, "So you are for us?"

"What makes you think that I'm for anyone?"

Shizukesa's life-partner, Tatakai, replied for her, "Ever hear that human saying, 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend'?"

"Can't say that I have."

"Then learn it, Pureblood," Shinri snapped. Her patience was wearing thin. "Learn it, and live by it. Heaven forbid that you become honorable."

Depth Charge blinked, then looked at his hands. "I wish I could help you. I can't. I'm sworn by my honor to only be a junior guard. I have no authority in this arena."

"Then why not enter, _playmate_," X taunted. "Enter, and then kill. It's easy, once you get the hang of it. Just like I am about to demonstrate with _her_."

Tsuki's feet couldn't move, as he sped towards her. However, he passed her, and targeted Shinri. With a scream, Shinri drew an arrow back upon her bow, and released it. Uso ran to her aid, while Taiyoo and Tsuki managed to finally move, towards them.

But it was too late.

Both Shinri and Uso lay upon the ground, with X over them, laughing. "See? Not that hard, now is it?"

Taiyoo knelt in shock, seeing two people whom he had known since his birth, simply lying there. X looked at him. "Lost hope, perhaps?"

The rage within Taiyoo grew. The other half-Cybertronians backed against the wall. Every one of them, except Tsuki, who was glaring at X. As the bot started to walk towards Taiyoo, Tsuki yelled, and deactivated her optics, concentrating. Something within her clicked, and she ran at X, moving faster than she ever would have thought possible, diverting his attention off of Taiyoo.

With a neatly-executed kick, X went skidding into a wall, and shook his head, starting to stand. Taiyoo stood, looking at his life-partner, watching her. An unfelt wind ran around her, as she shifted to her human mode. Her white hair swirled around her, and her eyes were narrowed slits. With a yell, the wind increased, and in a flash of light, she was another being completely. She was all of her modes, all in one. Her beast mode was represented by her legs, long, an iridescent silvery-white, and of a cat. Her upper half looked like her human mode, but it was armored in the style of her robot mode. The only thing that was different, was that she had large wings, white, bearing the color of a full moon shining though a fall mist.

Not to mention, she held a rather large sword in one hand.

Rampage snickered. "Ooh, like that's going to do anything? I'm immortal, cutie. Get it straight."

He kicked out with his amazing speed.

Taiyoo shut his optics off, and withdrew into himself, ready for that killing blow. But instead, he found a small ball of light.

Hope.

Hope, and vengeance.

With a roar, he came back to his senses, and ran at X without a fear. Three hits, and the other experiment went though the ten-inch titanium alloy wall. He looked at Tsuki, who was watching him. With a blink, he looked at his hands, knowing that they were human, but . . . armor covered them. _Taiyoo, go see to the others. I'll . . ._

Taiyoo's hand grasped Tsuki's once. Their eyes met, and she bowed her head. Now wasn't the time for comfort. She walked over to Shinri and Uso. Uso was closer to her, and she rested a hand upon his chest. She pulled it away sharply, then pulled her helmet off, and leaned closer, putting her ear closer to his Spark.

"By Primus above," she breathed. With a start, she heard someone moving from debris. "Taiyoo! My turn! Uso and Shinri are still alive! Get them outta here!"

"I'm not leaving you!" Taiyoo yelled in return. "I swore to my mother that I'd never leave you, and I plan upon keeping that promise."

Tsuki blinked, nodded, and he turned to the others. "We'll distract him, and you get those two out! I don't want to hear anything, so you shut your mouth up, Tatakai!"

The bot snorted, then nodded, and walked over to Uso, and picked him up, then slung him over his shoulder. Shizukesa carefully picked Shinri, and cradled her broken form. Taiyoo and Tsuki looked at each other, then at the shadow rising from the dust. X walked out, and Tsuki said, "You know, freak, I really thought we could have made an alliance, then rebel against those who keep us captive. Now I see that we're completely different, and that nothing is possible."

X held his hand out in a fist, then opened it downward. Something fell out, and he knelt, holding his head. "Don't let them put that back in me. Please."

Tsuki cautiously walked forward, ready for him to turn, to rush at her, and kill her in front of her life-partner. She picked up the device and saw what it did instantaneously. "Primus . . . Taiyoo . . ."

The older being walked over, and Tsuki handed Taiyoo the small chip. He blinked. "It's a behavior controlling chip. I've seen these, but . . . always for the opposite effect." Taiyoo looked up, then called over, "X. What is your full name."

"Xanthos."

Tsuki sighed, and took the chip back from Taiyoo. She crushed it between her palms, and then let the particles fall from the armor. She knelt in front of Xanthos, and said, "That's a Latin human name."

He nodded, and Tsuki sighed, then put her hand upon his shoulder. "They'll make another. Remember, then, Xanthos, that you have to apologize to my warriors."

X looked up at her, and Taiyoo stood behind his life-partner, then added, "If you ever touch any of our warriors again, I'll kill you."

The older boy nodded, broken, hiding his face in his hands.

Depth Charge walked into the arena. He stopped short, seeing Xanthos weeping into a human Tsuki's shoulder, while Taiyoo, also human, stood by protectively. The young guard walked over, and carefully put his hand upon Xanthos' shoulder, seeing if he would allow that. "Hey."

The younger bot looked up at him, then away. "I nearly killed someone, Charge."

"You never killed that other one, you know."

Xanthos snorted. "Prove it. He's probably dead."

"You're speaking with him, and he's rather displeased with your behavior."

Xanthos looked up at Depth Charge, who sighed. "Come on, then. They have to get home. Their friend is healed."

"R pool?" Taiyoo asked.

"Negative. CR chamber."

"Never seen one before."

"They're new. You're not likely to see one for a while."

"Whatever."

Xanthos stood, then helped Tsuki stand. "Please, could you convince them to not attack me, so I can apologize now?"

Taiyoo was somewhat stunned, at the innocence of the Maximal boy. _Should we trust him, Tsuki?_

_Killers don't cry, and they don't accept comfort._

_Sentimentality. You really should learn how to harden your heart, Suu._

_Tai, let me be who I am, and I'll let you be who you are. And I trust him._

Taiyoo sighed, then said, "Alright, stay here. Tsuki, you go ahead, and warn them. Bring them back, when they're ready."

The white-haired girl nodded, and took off in a light run, her already-long legs stretching in long strides. She reached Shinri and Uso, wrapping her arms around both of them, and quickly whispering to them the situation. Shinri blinked, indecisive, but Uso sighed in anger. "Suu, do we even know _that_ was the one that changed his personality."

"I am."

"Are you sure?" Uso asked.

Tsuki nodded. Ai sighed. "Suu, we all heard. We're all going with you."

She nodded, and walked out front, with Shinri and Uso. The others followed behind, and once they reached the arena again, only Tsuki, Shinri, and Uso walked forward. Uso was still suspicious, while Shinri walked forward timidly. Xanthos bowed his head, and said, "Please forgive my actions, Shinri. I . . . I was under the influence of the experiment. I'm so sorry I did that to you."

Shinri blinked, then said, "How do we know you won't do that again?"

He looked up at her, and whispered, "My father was a Predacon, they told me, before he was murdered. On my word as sharing half of the same heritage that you do, I will try to never harm one of your comrades again. You especially."

Shinri smiled, and said, "I accept that. Uso?"

"You touch my life-partner again, and I'll rip your head off, and–"

Taiyoo covered Uso's mouth, and said, "Stormsteel would have _your_ head, if you finish that comment! You slagging know he would."

Uso sighed, then glowered, when Taiyoo took his hand away. "I don't care. Shinri was hurt, and I could do nothing for her."

"How about we discuss this later, and _not_ in front of new comrades?" Taiyoo hissed.

Uso fell silent, then nodded in shame. "I'm sorry. Forgive _me_, X."

The older one shook his head. "No. There's no need to."

Depth Charge led him away, a hand upon his shoulder. Once they had reached a door, Xanthos went through, while Depth Charge looked back at the other experiments mournfully. Tsuki called over, "Keep in touch, Charge. We need more people like you."

He sighed, and nodded once. "Taiyoo, Tsuki, I will."

With a nod, he turned and left, while the technicians from the half-Cybertronians own compound came in, and ushered them away. This was a rather odd new development, that involved the two young leaders, Taiyoo and Tsuki.

And it would not be forgotten.


	7. Chapter Five

Taiyoo Soshite Tsuki  
(Sun and Moon)  
By: Sinead

Chapter Five: Discovering  
Year 5865

Tsuki ran to Taiyoo, as he fell. At thirteen years of age, he was muscular, and twice as strong than humans of his same gender and age. He fought like a madman, and almost always defeated his opponent with brutal grace.

Yet this time, the life-bound couple were forced to fight each other.

Tsuki buried her head in his neck and shoulder, unable to cry. Although she was the smallest, she was lithe, strong, and able to move faster than any of the others in their group. Taiyoo's arms went up around her, holding her gently. She stood, holding one arm over her shoulder, half-carrying, half-dragging him to the door. She set him down, and started to hot-wire the system. This was a trick that the group had learned over the years.

"Taiyoo, I'm almost done, and you get that butt of yours back on the ground."

"Tsuki . . ."

The door slid open noiselessly, and she helped him up again, bringing him to their parents' apartment. Satsujinhan'nin leapt up from where he had been playing chess with Wrangler, and immediately took his son's weight upon his own shoulders, bringing him to his room. Kelsi ran into the room, saw Tsuki, and asked, "How bad?"

Tsuki took a deep breath, and recited, "Uppercut to the chin, three kicks to his stomach and sides, a ten-foot throw into the wall, and numerous other injuries. Those were the worst ones."

"You were watching. Who was it this time?"

Tsuki looked at her hands, and whispered, "Me. They forced me to."

"How?"

"They threatened to take Dad away."

The half-human was embraced by the mother, who was seething beneath her skin. Aolani, Bastion, Brasswill, Ai, and Kirau all ran in. Ai embraced her leader swiftly, as Kirau went into the room. Aolani looked to Kelsi. "How is he?"

"Normal. His father has punished him worse during their training time together." She smiled. "Come on, then. I have to make some tea for us humans."

Tsuki sighed, and went to her room, followed by Ai. The older girl sat across from her. "Will we all have to fight our life-partners?"

The silver-haired girl sighed, and nodded. "That much I surmised, when one moved, and I saw another code-name for a test."

"I don't want to fight Kirau."

Tsuki sighed, and hid her face in her hands. Tears dripped from between her fingers, as she cried silently. Ai embraced the leader, and rested the silver head upon her shoulder, rocking back and forth slowly. Before long, Kelsi, Brasswill, and Wrangler came in, with tea for the two girls. Brasswill tipped Tsuki's head up slightly from his son's life-partner's shoulder. "You have to tell us what we have to expect, so we can tell the others, to warn them."

Tsuki sighed, and nodded. Kelsi handed a mug of tea to her, and she held it within her hands, warming them. "They will call the two down, for what would seem to be training. Then, they will threaten to have your parents taken from you, and that you would live the rest of your life in the labs, away from everyone else. They would, too, and we all know that." She sighed again. "Me and Taiyoo agreed to each other to fight to our fullest extent, but we didn't show all of our strength. That's about it."

Kirau walked in, and smiled sadly at Tsuki, then silently indicated that she go. She put her tea down on a side-table, and walked out of the room, into Taiyoo's room. Satsujinhan'nin was standing beside his son's bedside. He looked to Tsuki, and whispered, "Come on in, Suu."

The short, young teenager walked in, but said nothing. Taiyoo caught her gaze, and she sat beside him, her face sad. He grasped her hand awkwardly, and his father patted her shoulder. "He'll be fine, Suu. I'll be out in the living room if you need me or any of the others."

She nodded, still watching Taiyoo, and the door closed. Taiyoo whispered, "Don't be sad. I'm fine. I'll be fully recovered in a few days."

"But . . . I-I hurt you, Tai. And I had promised that I could never hurt you, and that I would never hurt you, but I did, and . . . I was . . ."

His other hand went to hold hers, his calloused fingers rubbing against hers. "You enjoyed it. You're a warrior, like me, like your father, and like my mother and father. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing your opponent submitting to your will . . . to see that you're winning . . ." He took a deep breath.

Tsuki took her hand away from his, only to slip between his back and the sheets of the bed, just as her other one was doing. He sighed, and closed his eyes, relaxing into her embrace. Carefully, hesitantly, she tried to open the link between them, that could help him heal faster. Taiyoo felt this, and then took a deep breath, opening it from his end. Soon, he reached up, and wrapped his arms around her back as well. Exhaustion overtook the two, and both were soon asleep.

"Sats, Wrangler . . . come look at this," Kelsi whispered, her voice smiling. The others had gone to spread the news of the new experiment that the children had to endure, and wouldn't be back until the next pair had gone through it. They knew that it would be on the next morn.

Satsujinhan'nin walked over, and smiled, then beckoned to Wrangler, not bothering to look at the Predacon. He walked over, and looked in upon their children. They had fallen asleep within the circle of each other's arms, peaceful and comfortable. Kelsi felt the air within the room, and then grabbed another blanket, draping it over the pair. Neither moved, as she kissed first her son's brow, then his life-mate's.

She left the room, and closed the door. "Well . . . I'd say that it should be time for them to know a few more things. I can explain to Suu, if you want, Wrangler."

Wrangler nodded, then sighed, looking away. "She's been asking about her mother recently." He sighed again, and rubbed at his optics, weary from the past thirteen years. Weary of tests, of raising a beautiful young woman upon his own, weary of the grief and pain that Willow's inability to keep to the responsibility of raising their child . . . it was starting to catch up to him. "I don't know what to say to her. I'm afraid that . . . that if I tell her the truth, then she'll hate Willow. And that's not what I'd want her to do. Willow is her biological mother, and . . . and you're not supposed to hate your parents." He sighed shakily, rubbing at his optics. "I mean, I don't know about humans as much, but . . . for us Cybertronians, it's just this side of blasphemy, if you admit you hate your parents. You just _can't_ hate them. They're usually there for you all the time, whenever we needed it, and no matter what . . ."

Satsujinhan'nin put his hand upon Wrangler's shoulder, his gruff voice somehow portraying a sense of comfort. "You'll know what to say, Wrangler, I assure you. Tsuki's a tough girl." He smiled. "She got it from you. Now go and rest. You'll need your strength tomorrow."

Wrangler headed for the couch, saying, "I'll sleep out here, tonight. You know, in case one of those two wake up. 'Night Kelsi, Satsujin."

As their door closed and locked, Kelsi looked up at Satsujinhan'nin. "He's used to having her sleep in the same area as he is."

"Affirmative . . . and he would miss her."

His voice had lost its precise edge that it held around others, taking upon a more growling tone. He used this only around his family, and only those closest to him could tell which were words, and which were verbal projections of emotion, that his beast mode had given him access to. His son even understood him, when they were training in beast mode, and he swore in the secondary language to them. Taiyoo never did what his father could pull off, since his mother was usually watching them spar. She knew even more of the Velociraptors' unique language that he, himself knew.

Satsujinhan'nin sighed, and rubbed at his eyes with a lightly-balled hand. "She's all that he has left."

Tatakai and Shizukesa were the last two in the experiment. Tsuki and Taiyoo waited patiently until they had been dragged to their apartment, and then entered, helping the parents bring them to one room, so that they would heal better. Kelsi, Satsujinhan'nin and Wrangler arrived a moment later, with Aolani, Baron, Fola, and Rapid, each bearing a tray of food and supplies, so that Nari, Bastion, and Fiendfire wouldn't have to cook, or do much else, other than watch over their children. Satsujinhan'nin ushered his son out the door, just as Wrangler was indicating for his daughter to go as well. They met up with Shi, Jinsei, Kirau, Ai, and Shinri and Uso, who were just recovering from their ordeal.

They all, by silent agreement, walked up to the roof, where they could speak, without being overheard by the adults. Taiyoo sighed. "Okay, two things. First off, things are moving on, and Mom's gotten word that they want me and Tsuki to meet with Xanthos again."

"Woah, here!" Kirau said, holding his hands up. "Are they _insane_?! You two barely pulled off surviving him a year ago!"

Taiyoo sighed, and nodded. "Unfortunately. But . . . remember that we've managed to override that behavior chip every single time that me and Tsuki have been there."

"Barely, that second time that we met him," Jinsei muttered.

Tsuki sighed. "Guys, he remembers that he has overridden that chip, what . . . five times now? Three out of those five times, he had ripped it from himself, and crushed it within his fist. He hates being there. He understands us, and we're some of the only ones who understand him. Other than us, only that young guard, Depth Charge, can stop him."

Shi had been glaring at her life-partner, but stopped, and looked at Taiyoo. "You basically cut it out of him once, didn't you? On one of the times the rest of us weren't there?"

The young leader looked ashamed at the fact, but tried to hide it with a gruff, "Yeah. And?"

"No need to be so testy, Tai. All I want to know, is why you and Suu have seen him five times, and the rest of us, only twice?"

Tsuki sighed. "Remember the first time that we went?"

"Primus," Uso whispered. "Your fourth form. You and Tai have it, but the rest of us don't. They test the limits . . ."

"To the extreme," Tsuki finishes. "Out of the three times that myself and Taiyoo have been there alone, I can admit that I've walked out of that arena once. The other two times, I was carried."

"By who?" Shinri asked.

"Xanthos."

Shinri shook her head, then sighed. "I forgive him and all, but . . . still."

Tsuki smiled. "Don't you worry about it. I know how it is. Forgiving and successfully forgetting are two separate things."

Everything was silent for a moment. Shi broke it, by asking, "So what was the second thing you wanted to talk to us about?"

Taiyoo turned crimson, while Tsuki laughed, and replied, "Remember 'The Talk' the parents had with us two years ago?"

"Oh, great," the boys muttered. Or something along those lines, anyway. Jinsei growled, "So you're saying that we have another one coming up?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"How do you know?"

"Simple. I overhear almost everything that my dad and Tai's parents talk about."

"Oh. Ew."

Tsuki laughed, and Kelsi popped her head up through the skylight that the kids had escaped out of. "Come on, you lot. Dinner's ready."

They sighed, and followed the parent down, taking care to close the skylight fully.

Year 5871

Sparring was all they did now, but they were amazingly more brutal than any one of them had ever thought that they would be, when they were younger. Sometimes, they beat each other within inches of their life, only to help them back out, laughing and joking all the way home. Sometimes they had a tag-team approach. Other times, they were all-out, males against females, no holding back.

Most times, though, it was life-partner against life-partner.

Taiyoo was as large as his father, and almost four times as strong in his robot mode. His beast mode was somewhat bulky, but he was faster in that than his father was. He hardly sparred with his father now. For three years now, he had won every match.

He was also starting to slowly separate himself from them.

Tsuki, on the other hand, was just as close to her father as she was on the day she had been born. She was still slight, but had grown to be as tall as Taiyoo, while in her robot mode. When in beast mode, she was slightly more lithe than the other modes. No matter what mode she was in, though, no-one could touch her, if she didn't want to be. And as either a human or a bot, she was thin, tall, and beautiful to many.

When walking down the halls, Tsuki noticed that when the new scientists saw Taiyoo, they always flattened themselves against the walls, or against the nearest White-Coat, as the group had come to call the scientists that had been their puppet-masters since their birth, or even before.

On the other hand, though, when they saw her, Taiyoo had told her that they stop and stare in wonder. They were continuing such a conversation out, while sparring.

"Slaggit, Suu!!! They gawk! Surely you would see that!" He swung a fist at her.

Tsuki batted it aside, bringing her knee up sharply, catching Taiyoo in the gut. "Tai, you nitwit, you _know_ that I would never cheat on you!"

Resting his hands on his knees and regaining his breath in gasps, he answered in a growl, "But . . . I saw you . . . with one . . ."

"Pinned to the wall, and ready to put him though it, had you not come." She grinned, and put her hand upon his shoulder. "Thanks for doing that for me, Tai."

He swatted her hand away, and stood upright, glaring at her. "Again."

"Slag you, Taiyoo, listen to me!"

"No! Why should I?!"

Tsuki dodged and blocked his attacks, then flipped him to his back. She quickly rolled him to his stomach, and then knelt on his spine, pulling one arm up and backwards, hearing his servos screaming in protest. "Because I said so. Taiyoo, I love you, you know that, but right now, you're being a dick." She let that sink in, before letting him up, and sitting a few feet away from him. "And those kids, well . . . they don't understand me as you do."

He stood, without saying anything, and walked to the door of the sparring room. It opened, and he said over his shoulder, "Do? Try _did_."

The nineteen-year-old Predacon left the room. The door closed, and Tsuki felt the anger well up inside her again. With a bestial howl, she released a shock-wave of pure energy, knocking the lights out. In the dark room, the girl held her head within her hands, her optics black. She couldn't get through to him. No matter what she had tried, she just couldn't get through to him.

A shaft of light broke the darkness, which was soon obscured by a large shadow.

Hands pulled her head up, and she looked into optics that her life-partner owned. Satsujinhan'nin embraced the girl gently. "I know you hurt. My son . . . he needs to learn about himself a bit more. If you haven't noticed, all the boys are distancing themselves slightly from everyone else. Hush now, quiet. This is normal. I did this to my parents, as my father did this to his. But I never was as far as Taiyoo is forcing himself."

"I want my father . . ."

"Suu, you know that he's on the other side of the planet. You know that he can't be there for you all the time." He sighed. "But please don't think of me as any different than he is."

She nodded, and wept. Satsujinhan'nin sighed once more, and knew that this would be a wound that would take time to heal.

Yet it was already festering.

Wrangler was watching his daughter talking with Taiyoo. He knew that Satsujinhan'nin and Kelsi were watching from their own bedroom door as well. He could see it open a crack, like his.

"Taiyoo–"

"No. This is it. I can't stay here. I can't take this."

"Please, Tai . . ."

"Tsuki, you _know_ how hard we've had it! You've nearly died more times than all the other femmes put together!" he growled, slamming his hands upon the table, his gaze intense upon her white optics.

She stood, and took up the same posture as he was in: hands on the table, optics locked upon optics. "But I took all those wounds, so that the others wouldn't have to suffer."

"But they did!" he snarled. By now, his voice was almost a complete replica of his father's. Only Kelsi, Wrangler, and Tsuki could tell them apart by voice alone now. "Seeing you out cold on one of those beds, barely this side of life! They suffered, because they cared for you! They couldn't stand seeing you in the pain that you were in!"

"But they understood that I took those wounds for them! It is what a leader does!"

"Slagging lunacy!"

"So what?! So what if it is?! By the Pit below, Taiyoo, do you know how _I_ felt, every time _you_ were hurt?! Huh?! My Spark has been practically ripped from my chest every time I saw you limp out of a fight! Every time that you passed out because of an experiment, I felt as if I was going to die of worry, that this time was the last!" Tsuki stormed around the table to stand face-to-face with him. "And don't you worry about taking shots for me. Far be it from _me_ to question your _man_liness, of protecting _me_, when _I_ could have done that _myself_!"

Taiyoo snorted, and hissed back, "At least I was sure that you were hurt before I protected you!"

"Really? Is that so? What of when the others weren't paying as much attention, hm? You've protected them in the same way, too. Slaggit, Taiyoo, you _know_ that you're being hypocritical!"

He stopped, and blinked at her. Tsuki went on. "Yeah, I can see that. I can see straight through your Spark, pal. You're trying to protect me from something that you know about, but you're not telling me. Now, I _know_ that your Mum told you that you had to protect me, and Dad told _me_ that I had to protect _you_. But that only goes so far." She paused. "You gonna tell me?"

Taiyoo sighed, and then walked over to a chair. He sat, then rested his head upon his hands, sighing. "If I could tell you, Suu, I would."

"And what _exactly_ is so important, that I can't be bothered with it?"

"Suu, please don't press me."

Tsuki stopped, then walked closer, and crouched, to look up at his face. "You heard something."

"Suu . . ."

"That's a 'yes.' Okay . . . and something's been bothering you for over a week, so I'd say that it was about a week ago."

He sighed, and shut his optics off fully in defeat. "Affirmative."

"Tell me."

He sighed, and then took in a deep breath."Two of the scientists are in league with Megatron. He's planning an invasion, and is planning to take you. You're the beauty of us, Suu. You know that."

Tsuki's face fell, and she reached up, to gently pull one hand away from his face. He looked at her, and she rested her fingertips along his cheek. "That's why you've been so edgy."

The bot's optics lowered. "He'd take you, Suu . . . He'd take you, and then do whatever he wanted to with you. Primus . . . the thought itself is sickening." He looked at her forlornly. "Please forgive me, Suu. I've been acting like an idiot."

Tsuki rested his hand upon her cheek, shutting her optics off. "I don't need to, now that I know why you were acting like you were. I understand, and I would only be doing the same thing, had our roles been switched."

He pulled her closer, until she was sitting beside him, leaning against him. He ducked his head low to look into her optics. "Suu?"

"Mm-hm?"

_Remember "The Talk"?_

Tsuki laughed, and looked at him fully, then smiled. _Your parents and my father wouldn't take it very well if they found us on the couch like that._

_Ooh . . . good point._

_And Good Point number two: We agreed that we would, once we were sure that we were both ready._

Taiyoo blinked, then rested his forehead upon hers. _I know._

Tsuki rested her hands upon his cheeks. _You and I both know that most of the others haven't lasted out as long as you and I have, but I'm not ready. Please. Wait longer._

He nodded, and embraced her tenderly. "I understand. And I'm sorry for saying earlier this week that I didn't understand you. I was angry, and I . . . I wanted to hurt you, I guess. I'm so sorry . . ."

"I forgive you, Tai. You know that." Tsuki yawned.

Taiyoo released her, as she changed to her human mode. He did the same, and she laid her head upon his knee, sighing. "So what's going to happen?"

"I do not know, however," he tucked Tsuki's hair behind an ear, "always know that I love you. Whatever happens, I love you."

"I love you too, Taiyoo."

As she fell asleep, Taiyoo traced her cheekbone, thinking . . .


	8. Chapter Six

Taiyoo Soshite Tsuki  
(Sun and Moon)  
By: Sinead

Chapter Six: Parting  
Year 5872

Taiyoo was ready for the hit, as he glared at Tsuki. What he wasn't prepared for, was how _hard_ she would hit him. He blinked a few times, shook his head, and snapped, "You call yourself one of us!"

"Bastard! Traitor! And here I was, thinking that we had cleared things up, that we were going to actually get over the whole mistrust! I can't believe that I had thought you were telling the truth! I'm such an idiot!"

_No, Tsuki . . . you're not the idiot._

"Well?! Don't you have anything to say?!"

Taiyoo looked up at her, and saw behind her the looks of shock on his parents' faces. Wrangler was there as well, with Ai and Kirau. All were shocked. "No. Nothing." He straightened his shoulders, and sneered down at her. Tsuki's face was red with fury, but it turned white with shock with what he said next. "And I will have nothing to say to you for quite a while, Tsuki. I'm leaving. I swear upon my honor, that I will never speak to you. Farewell."

_I'll remain silent towards you until the time comes when I most likely will need your wisdom. Please forgive me._

Tsuki hissed back, "Don't worry. The vow is mutual."

He turned, and left, closing the door behind him gently. As he walked down that hallway, there was nothing more than he wanted, than to run back, and say that he was sorry, that it wasn't what it seemed. There was nothing more that he wanted, than to feel her in his arms once more, just one last time, and to say that he still loved her.

But this was the only way that he could protect her, and she _needed_ to stay ignorant of the truth, so that she would be safe.

The two scientists were waiting for him, at the entrance of the building. They had given him a card that would get him through all the security points. His head was bowed, as he followed them through the strange streets.

As his footsteps faded, the nineteen-year-old fell to her knees, shaking, pale. Her hair was spread around her, hiding her face from view. However . . . it could not hide the weeping that racked her body. Satsujinhan'nin looked down at his partner . . . his soon-to-be wife. By all other standards, however, they were already married. They had been married since the "conceiving" of their son, nineteen years ago.

Kelsi looked up at him, tears falling from her eyes. He wiped them away, then held her closer, willing his body not to shake. He looked up, at Ai and Kirau. "Go. Tell the others quietly. Whatever you do, though, only tell them that Taiyoo . . . my son has left. That's it. Nothing else." His voice changed to a growl. The pair could barely make out the words, yet they already knew what he was going to order them to do. "And for Primus' sake, _don't_ let any in here! Suu does _not_ need that stress! Get going."

Wrangler was picking his daughter up into his arms, and rocking her back and forth gently. He was no stranger to the pain of losing someone who he loved. But . . . he hadn't known Willow for nowhere near as long as Tsuki had known Taiyoo.

It was time.

"Suu . . . daughter, look at me. Come on, show your dad those wonderful black eyes of yours."

She looked up, her face a mask of grief.

His voice was solemn. "I know how you're feeling. I know that it hurts."

"How?" she managed to croak out.

"Your mother did something like this, before you were born. You have to know, now. You're old enough to know about her, and what she was really like."

Tsuki was silent.

"I don't hate her. She was sixteen, and had just been given the fact that you had been created."

"Why?"

"Hm?"

"Why don't you hate her?"

Wrangler smiled down at the daughter of his dreams. "Because I knew her. She was a good girl. She had confided in me early, that she and the others had been abducted, and thus violated, so that you would be created. She cried upon my shoulder, while telling me about that. She was too young to take that responsibility, and she recognized that."

"Kelsi . . ."

"Kelsi was different," Satsujinhan'nin said, walking over, and resting his hand upon her head. The very human was kneeling next to the younger girl, as he had been talking. The tall Predacon sighed. "She was aware of what she was taking on, and was ready to face it head-on." He smiled, and stole the younger human from her father's lap, to place her upon his own, and embraced her, as she wept once more at the sound of his voice, the tones it took on. "Suu . . . you're a strong girl. I think that your mother would be proud of you."

Tsuki sighed, and said, "I'm going to miss him."

"We all will," Kelsi replied, toying with a strand of the long white hair. "But my son . . . you know him almost as well as I do, Suu. But the parts of him that you don't know, I do. I have the distinct feeling that he will be back, somehow."

Late that night, Satsujinhan'nin walked out on the balcony, then down, oddly, instead of looking up at the stars, as he usually did.

Two crimson optics met his. He thought that he had looked into a mirror, at first, but then they blinked. Kelsi joined him, and looked down, as the optics re-activated. The owner of the optics walked out of the shadows, and looked up mournfully at them. Satsujinhan'nin indicated the ladder to his right, and the son nodded. Kelsi went to closed the door, then returned, to glare half-heartedly at her son. He started the conversation in a hoarse whisper. "I'm sorry. Please don't tell her that I'm here."

"Wasn't going to," Kelsi whispered. "Why did you do what you did?"

Taiyoo sighed, and said, "Because I had to. Megatron heard of Suu's extraordinary looks, and thought that she would be a good prize."

"What has this to do with anything?" Kelsi hissed.

Satsujinhan'nin put his hand upon her shoulder. "Hush, love. Taiyoo, please tell us."

"I spoke with the two scientists who had told him. And I struck a deal. I would come, willingly, instead of Tsuki. He could claim me as his protege, and I would willingly agree to it. He would be able to order me around, and I would do so. I'd . . . I'd do his dirty work . . . and take blame."

"You would allow yourself to be treated as a drone, a slave, in order for Tsuki to be free from him?"

Taiyoo lowered his gaze. "Mother . . . you once said, nine years ago, that you had been violated here, in order for me to be created. Take the worst pain that you had received then, whatever it was, and multiply it by ten. That is what that slagging _monster_ would do to my Tsuki. I could not live, knowing that she was in pain, and that I could do nothing about it. This is the only way that I could protect her."

Satsujinhan'nin sighed, and nodded. "I know. You did the right thing, son."

For once, the boy was as informal as he could be with his father. "Dad . . . treat her like a daughter. Please. In my place."

"You'll be gone long, then."

"Longer than I want to be. Longer than is necessary."

"_How_ long?" Kelsi whispered.

Taiyoo bowed his head. "Five, possibly seven years."

The door opened, and Taiyoo leapt into the shadows, as nimble and as fast as ever. Wrangler came out, then closed the door after him. "Gerrout here, Taiyoo."

The younger Predacon did, only to have hands placed upon his broad shoulders, and to look into blue optics. "Thank you. From now on, you're a son to me. And if you ever manage to make it up to my daughter, then may your marriage be blessed. Even if it lasts three seconds, because of the fact you'll end up saying something, thus getting yourself killed."

Taiyoo smiled, and bowed his head, accepting the blessing. He stood straight again, and was embraced by his mother. He bent to kiss her cheek gently, resting his head upon her shoulder, and sighing, holding onto the last piece of true comfort, until who-knew-when. Finally, he stood, and looked to his father, who embraced him roughly, only to turn it into a gentle hug. "Be careful, son. And I'll do as you ask. But _never_ in your place. Beside you, I will agree to, but in your stead . . . never."

Taiyoo took one last look, then swung over the railing, and climbed down the ladder. The three parents watched the shadow retreat into the shadows, then stop abruptly by the end of the alley. A tall bot walked by. Taiyoo fell into step behind him, and out of sight.


	9. Chapter Seven

Taiyoo Soshite Tsuki  
(Sun and Moon)  
By: Sinead

Chapter Seven: Arrival  
Year 5874

A flash brightened the afternoon, and Rampage recoiled from the edge of the sea. A winged creature appeared, and Megatron growled, "Get it."

The crab raced forward, but skidded to a stop, and transformed, optics disbelieving. He walked the final three steps to her, and kneeled, reaching a hand out tentatively, hoping that it was who he thought it was.

Megatron looked on in confusion, as the creature smiled, grasped the homicidal killer's hand, then embraced his neck, causing as gentle a scene as if a butterfly was just alighting upon a hand. The tyrant shook his head, but was unable to see the creature fully, as Rampage was in his line-of-sight. However . . . he had the feeling that he had seen her before . . . somewhere.

Tsuki released him. "Xanthos."

The crab-bot shook his head. "No. I'm Rampage, now."

The smaller Predacon chuckled. "So your name finally matches your temper, now, eh?"

He nodded, happy to see her again. "Yes."

"I'm gonna be blunt. You're in pain."

Rampage's child-like good nature dissipated completely, and Tsuki backed a half-step up, but the bot reached out to her again, still gentle, although his voice held a growl. His gaze was a silent plead. "He has half of my Spark."

Tsuki sighed, and reached up to touch his cheek once more. "I'm here for Taiyoo."

"Taiyoo? He's here?" The Predacon male paused. "Oh. Of course. He changed his name. But, still, Tsuki. Can't you please . . . ?"

Tsuki's head fell. "I cannot help you, Big Brother. Not at the moment. I wish I could."

"Correct me if I am wrong," Megatron's voice wafted over, "but I thought that I had heard you call him 'brother.'"

"Then you heard wrong," Rampage snarled. He looked at her quickly, and said quietly, "Taiyoo's Maximal now. You'll find him in _that_ direction."

_The faster she gets to that deranged life-partner of hers, the faster she can help me_, Rampage thought, just as the first waves of pain shot through him. Tsuki smiled, squeezed his hand, and he threw her upwards, giving her as large a head start as he could, hoping that she would get to the bot quickly . . . and to get her away from Megatron. She waved once, shifting to her beast mode, and sped off in the direction he had pointed out. Once, she thought that she had heard a cry of agony, in Rampage's voice. She flew faster.

Rhinox looked up at the map, as an insistent beeping started. Rattrap shared a look with the larger Maximal, then tapped Cheetor's shoulder. "Kiddo. Flier. Just up your alley."

Cheetor grinned, then left, happy to be getting out of the base, and doing something. Rhinox frowned, hitting a button, coming up with one more Predacon on the head-count, than was usual. Rattrap blinked, and whispered, "An extra Pred? Where the Pit did 'e come from?!"

"Dunno."

Optimus walked in, and Rhinox filled him in. He quickly left, and took to the air, following Cheetor. Soon, he saw two dark dots appear in the air in front of him, still far away. One was attacking the other, and Primal assumed that the attacker was Cheetor. The Predacon, however, was dodging gracefully, making Cheetor seem clumsy. He finally reached them, and tugged on Cheetor's tail, growling, "Back down."

The silvery-white cat with wings of the same color flapped in mid-air for a moment, then transformed, so that she could hover. Cheetor blinked, his jaw dropping. She was singularly the most beautiful bot he had ever seen. She blinked at him, and smiled, then gently pushed his jaw back up to its proper place. Optimus sighed, and asked, "Who are you?"

The Predacon blinked, then replied in a whispery voice, "Tell me where my life-partner is, and I will tell you my name."

"Who?" Cheetor asked. Both adults ignored him.

"Back at the base," Optimus replied. "And your name?"

"Tsuki."

Optimus smiled. "You've grown even more beautiful since I last saw you."

"He'd kill you for saying something like that."

"Perhaps. That, and he's already tried. He's waiting."

Cheetor followed the two in a haze of confusion. Once they had entered the base, then blinked, and asked, "An' so we're s'posed ta let da Pred waltz right in here without a guard, why? Not that dat's a bad thin' . . . since she's–"

Optimus shook his head. "Rattrap, that's enough. Dinobot will keep an eye on her."

"Really? And how's he gonna do dat while being flat on 'is back?!"

Tsuki chuckled, and shifted to her human mode, resting her hands upon the tri-dimensional map, and looking straight into the bot's optics. "Rattrap, if the bot Primal is talking about is the one I am in search for, then you have nothing to worry about. I could not harm you, nor any of your comrades, knowing that he's befriended you. If he trusts you to guard his back in battle, then I will do the same. Consider me as an ally."

Rattrap sighed, shrugged, and went back to working on a control panel. Optimus beckoned for Tsuki to follow him, as he walked down the hall to the sick-bay. His voice was lowered to a whisper, as he called in, "Silverbolt, your shift is up."

A moment later, the Fuzor opened the door, and walked out quietly. He blinked once at Tsuki, taking in her looks, then smiled. "A pleasure, milady."

Tsuki smiled, nodded her head, and Silverbolt walked off, as Optimus walked into the room. "Dinobot."

"I'm awake. Silverbolt's rambles, however, could have put even that infernal _tyrant_ to sleep."

Optimus chuckled, and said, "You still look like slag."

There was a dry chuckle, and he sighed, his optics activating, to look up at his commander. "Get to the point, Primal."

"You were talking in your sleep again last night, on Rattrap's shift."

Dinobot growled. "Fine, yes, I dreamt of her again. But I doubt that you would understand even if I took the time to completely explain it to you."

Optimus sat, and replied, "Try me."

Dinobot winced, then said, "We left on bad terms. I swore upon my honor that I would never speak to her again. She did the same."

"From what I remember of the Maximal investigation that went on, I remember that you two were close."

Dinobot's broken sigh caused Tsuki's eyes to begin to water. She bit her lip, and rubbed at them, looking up at Optimus. He released a small, barely-noticeable nod, stood, and left as silently as he could, just as Dinobot's optics deactivated again, unwilling to look to the present, but instead delighting to dwell in the past . . . in happier times.

Tsuki entered the room, closing the door silently, and seeing Dinobot's slowly healing wounds, noting each and every one. Finally, holding her hair back, she leaned over her life-partner, and kissed his brow lightly.

His optics activated with a flash, and Tsuki leaned her forehead against his. He reached up, but his hands wouldn't move more than an inch off of the bed. Tsuki didn't notice this, as she said, "I'm breaking my oath, Taiyoo. I had to come."

"Please . . . tell me that I'm not dreaming again . . ."

"No," she whispered, "you're not dreaming. Neither am I, I guess."

She wrapped her arms around him, cradling his head against her shoulder. Wearily, painfully, he managed to reach up and place one arm around her shoulders. The weakness of his grasp scared Tsuki. She pulled a bit away, until she could see his face clearly. "You have to let me help you."

He shook his head. "I can't forgive myself about walking away two years ago, without telling you the truth. I can't let myself accept your love."

Tsuki smiled. "You have more than enough time to tell me later. And I love you because I always have. Your Mum an' Da are worried about you. They say that they forgive you, and that they don't mind that you've gone and done whatever it was that you had to."

"And . . . and for you?"

"Tai, I could never hold a serious grudge against you."

He sighed, and Tsuki gently placed him back then shifted to her beast mode. She transformed, and cradled Taiyoo Dinobot against her, then opened the Spark connection fully between them for the first time in nearly two years. Dinobot let his optics deactivate, as he fell into a restorative, healing sleep. Tsuki sighed, and kissed him, her touch as soft as a breeze, then set him back gently. With a yawn, she folded her arms upon the bed by his side, and laid her head down. She was asleep almost instantly.

Rattrap had seen the whole thing from a vent. He looked at the graceful features of the femme's face, which contrasted sharply with Dinobot's own harshly-drawn face. The Maximal was asleep, peaceful for the first time since the valley. So . . . if what he had overheard on Primal's comm-link was true, and these two were life-partners . . . then that meant that Dinobot had to be something less than fully Cybertronian, since . . . since Rattrap had now seen the female transform twice, now. She had looked almost human . . . but . . . was that why Dinobot had really done what he had? Merely to save his own skin?

No . . . no he could tell that wasn't the case. The look on Dinobot's face, as he had spoken with this girl . . . something that he had only seen a few times before, and not with this bot. But it was at the mention of his mother that he had seemed to completely relax.

But why?

What had she to do with anything?

The vent was pulled away from before Rattrap's face. He found himself looking stupidly into the white optics of the Predacon. She smiled, and whispered, "You think too loud. I can smell your processor burning all the way over by his bed."

Rattrap grinned, noting that she had almost the same type of humor as Dinobot, and climbed out of the vent. He looked up at her, as she replaced the grating, and asked, "Weren't you asleep?"

"Was. Your foot tapped once against the side of the vent when you relaxed, thinking I was out cold for a while. That's what gave you away."

"'Ya're really alert, Pred."

She smiled, and replied, "We all had to be."

"'We'?"

Tsuki sat upon the side of another bed, as Rattrap leaned against a wall. He didn't need to be too close to her. She belonged to the Choppuhface, and he respected that. Besides. It looked as if she really loved him, and Rattrap wasn't about to interfere in a relationship that had probably developed over the course of years.

The Predacon held a sad smile upon her face. "We're like Xan . . . Rampage. We were, and still are, I guess, experiments. We were put through tests that had unimaginable pain. But by the time we were thirteen, we learned that we were stronger than pure-blooded Cybertronians ten years older than us. Excluding Rampage, of course. He's still stronger than one of us, but against two . . . not a chance. Anyway, we had also learned before then, that we heal naturally. Our senses are more acute, and still grow more so with every passing year."

"'Ya sleep light, too," Rattrap stated.

"Of course. We never wanted to be caught unaware by the scientists."

Rattrap finally moved to a stool about seven feet away from her. It was still a bit too close. The Transmetal sighed, and rubbed at his face. "How many of 'ya are dere?"

"Tsuki and myself led," Dinobot's voice replied. He sounded as if he were fully awake again. "Then our second-in-commands were Ai and Kirau. Then there were Jinsei and Shi, Shizukesa and Tatakai, and finally Shinri and Uso."

Never once, Rattrap noted, did the ex-Predacon stumble over the odd-sounding syllables. But Rattrap didn't jump this time, now understanding why he had only once caught Dinobot asleep, and why the 'Raptor had been so irritable and nasty about it. With a passing thought, as well as a grin, Rattrap remarked, "Jeesh. 'Ya sound as if 'ya knew dem since 'ya were in diapers."

"We did," the pair chorused. Tsuki grinned to Dinobot, and said, "And those things were slagging uncomfortable. Diaper rash."

Dinobot laughed, while Rattrap just blinked at the comment. "Oh. Woah! Wait one slagging nano-click, here! Are you actually _sayin'_ dat you and he were in diapers, once?! Only humans wore dem!"

Tsuki sighed. "Rattrap, by right, we're–"

Rhinox opened the door, gracing Rattrap with a glare, before seeing the extra bot in the room. "Oh. You're Soki, I take it?"

"Tsuki, yes." She turned to glance at Dinobot, who stopped trying to sit up to blink at her. Her glare was swift and black. _Don't you even think about it._

_Tsuki . . ._

_No. None of it._

Dinobot sighed, and lay back. "Slagging stiff."

"You get that pretty head of yours out of your overly large tailpipe and smell the roses, Taiyoo. You're staying flat on your back until I feel you're well enough."

"Tsuki . . ."

"Nope! That's enough!" she snapped, still glaring.

Rhinox chuckled at the exchange, and said, "Rattrap, you're wanted to finish taking your shift. Come on."

They left, but Tsuki stayed sitting where she was, on the bed a few beds over from her life-partner. Dinobot blinked at her. "You met Rampage on the way here. That's how you know that he had changed his name."

She nodded, and said, "I think that this latest chip that they put in him is faulty. It failed for the few cycles that I was with him."

Dinobot reached out towards her, and she walked around the beds, to grasp his hand. She brought it up slowly to her face, and, keeping eye-contact, kissed it softly, experimentally, waiting for her life-partner to tear it away from her hold.

Dinobot saw the fear within her optics, knowing that she was remembering their "final" exchange two years ago, and knew that it was up to him, to complete healing the rift. He stroked her cheek with one finger, smiling gently. "Tsuki . . . I'm sorry."

"I know."

He sighed, and she rested his hand upon her cheek, taking in the comfort, as he pushed it gently closer. "Listen to me, Tsuki . . . I know you love your name . . . but you have to change it for this war. I changed mine, when I was still on Cybertron. Only Tarantulus and Rampage know what my real name is. All the others know me as Dinobot. The names we were called when we were born are too exotic for this war. Too elegant."

Tsuki moved to sit upon the side of his bed, smiling. "Your voice has finally matured fully, Taiyoo."

"Dinobot," he corrected gently. He paused. "And I didn't know that."

Tsuki smiled, and whispered, "You sound just like your father."

Dinobot's face brightened slightly, and Tsuki saw that what she had said meant a lot to him. It meant a lot to her, as well, since she loved his father as much as she loved her own. And already, she sensed how far along he had healed, in the mere thirty-five cycles she had been next to him. His strength was greater as well, she noticed, as he gently pulled her close to him. Without completely knowing it, they had kissed, holding one another tight.

Tsuki pulled away slightly once more, and Dinobot shivered at the loss of heat. Nevertheless, he asked her what he had been wanting to for quite a few years. _Tsuki . . . please . . . answer one question for me._

She smiled. _Anything._

_Will you marry me?_

She blinked, then smiled, and kissed him again. _Of course._ She laughed, and smiled gently at him. "How long have you wanted to ask me that?"

"Four years."

"And why didn't you ask me before?"

"I was . . . apprehensive. Scared."

"Reasonable answer."

He smiled, and Tsuki pulled herself closer to him, smiling, resting her forehead against his. He sighed, and they met in another kiss, each afraid to let one another go, for fear that they would lose each other once more.

Rattrap turned the camera off, smiling, as Rhinox teased, "Nymphomaniac. You know that you would have watched if you were alone."

"Nuh-uh, Big Green. Nope. Dose two deserve some respect _and_ privacy." He grinned. "'Sides. It ain't like I'm a stranger ta dat, or nuthin'."

Rhinox chuckled, but his look turned swiftly to one of quiet sadness. "I know, Rattrap. Optimus was one of the investigating team for both the Protoform X Project, as well as those two's own, although they really shouldn't know . . ."

"Know what?" Rattrap asked.

Rhinox shook his head. "Nothing."

Rattrap shrugged, knowing that when Rhinox stopped himself short, it was for good reason, and one shouldn't prod. The bigger Maximal tended to get testy then. "Eeh . . . sumthin' tells me dat dose two are big. Y'know . . . big like da Disk bein' stolen an' da X project put together."

With a solemn look, Rhinox nodded.

Optimus was about to knock upon the sickbay door the next morning, when Rattrap skidded to a halt between the commander's fist and the door, holding his hands up. His voice was low. "Boss Monkey, if 'ya were smart, den you'll let 'er come out on her own time."

A look of amused embarrassment crossed over the leader's face, as he managed a small, "oh."

Three steps later, they heard an evil chuckle. Tsuki's voice drifted up to them. "And how would you know, Rattrap?"

They turned, Optimus looking down to his second-in-command, wondering the same thing himself. The rat shrugged. "Dere was a camera in dere, you know, in case sumthin' happened to da Choppuhface. Don' look at me like dat! I turned it off the moment dat I thought dat you two were gonna do what 'ya probably _didn't_ do. Ask Rhinox! 'E was there!"

Tsuki glanced back into the room, then virtually disappeared. Less than a second later, something hit something else. Optimus and Rattrap ran to the door, and looked in, to see Tsuki sitting astride Dinobot's midsection, her hands on his shoulders, and in a glaring contest with him. Rattrap intervened. "Was 'e tryin' ta get up again?"

"Yes," Tsuki growled. "And I swear that I'll knock you out if you try it again, Dinobot."

"Slaggit, female–"

She hit his shoulder, and he stopped struggling as she pulled her left leg back to cross over her right. She sat upon his stomach, crossing her arms over her chest. He rubbed at the shoulder she had delivered a right-cross to. "Ow. You didn't have to hit me _that_ hard!"

"Where did you pick up that habit?!"

He crossed his own arms, and snarled, "Well, I had to ward off femmes _some_how! Slaggit, I could never cheat on you, and there _were_ some who would have wanted me to do so!"

"Dat's sick. Who would want 'ya in da first place?"

"Me," Tsuki replied lightly, displacing the comment from the shorted Maximal. "Oh, and shut up, Rattrap." She looked back at Dinobot. "Lose. That. Habit. Your mother would strongly disapprove of it."

Rattrap snickered, not seeing the look of frustration Optimus shot his way. However, Tsuki was instantly in front of him, her hand holding his chin up so that he was looking into her optics. "Did you have something else to say, Rattrap?"

Once she let go of him, he shook his head vehemently. Dinobot sighed, and snarled, "I'd like you to meet my mother, Vermin. She'd cause you to slagging burst something vital." He chuckled. "And if you survive her, you may speak with my father as well."

"Please tell me dat he's easier to deal with den your Ma."

Tsuki patted his head. "Don't you worry about old Satsujinhan'nin. You'll meet him in due time."

". . . what was 'is name?"

Dinobot laughed outright, calling over, "I _may_ sit up, now, correct?"

"If you behave. Otherwise–" she was sitting on him again, smirking, causing him to momentarily lose his breath, "– you can deal with me in a sparring match later on."

"Slaggit, that does it. I'm renaming you Hellcat."

"Fine by me," Tsuki said amicably, getting off of him, to face Optimus, who had been watching all this silently. "So how can I help you and your team, Primal?"

He blinked, "When do you think Dinobot will be able to patrol and preform his normal duties?"

"Does that include fighting?"

"No."

"Three days."

"And including fighting?"

"Three-and-a-half."

Optimus paused. "Why the half?"

"Do you honestly think that he'd stay out of a skirmish?" Tsuki Hellcat sighed, and indicated him. "Look. He's sitting up, moving easily, no struggling, although he's stiff. Yesterday, at this time, he could barely breathe. You know that. When I came, he was still like that. I know his rate of healing, and I just know how he is."

"A mirror image of my father," Dinobot said, chuckling.

Rattrap blinked. "On second thought, I think dat I'm gonna stay away from your family, Choppuhface."

Tsuki smiled. "Don't worry. They're not as ferocious as we make them sound."

"Somehow, I ain't convinced."

Silverbolt stopped the conversation short. "Predacons approaching, sir." He nodded once to Tsuki Hellcat. "Milady."

Tsuki blinked at his code of chivalry, and shook her head. _And you call **me** a stiff, Dinobot._

_Hah! You haven't seen anything yet. Wait until you see him in combat against a femme, and **then** you see how bad that boy really has it._ Aloud, he said, "If Megatron sees you again, he'll surely recognize you, whatever mode you are in, and make the connection with me. And he already despises me." He paused, and closed his eyes. _He'll know even the fourth mode._

She sighed. "Rampage will then attack."

"I know." He looked her fully in the eye. _If he knows that you **are** in here, then he will rebel against Megatron fiercely, and might just end up getting himself killed. Although . . . that is supposedly impossible._

Optimus indicated for Rattrap and Silverbolt to leave. He looked at the two life-partners, and asked, "How can I help _you_ two?"

Hellcat looked up at him, as did Dinobot. "Optimus, there really isn't much you can help with. We've had to survive and deal with multiple situations that would kill _you_."

The femme sat upon the edge of Dinobot's temporary bed, letting her legs swing free. "We'll think if there is, but I'm willing to let Dinobot speak about this one. He knows you; I don't."

Optimus nodded, replying, "Then the two of you stay here, and sit this one out. I'll be back in when everything's done."

"Wait," Hellcat said, standing, her white optics flashing. "I want to see who I'm hiding from."


	10. Chapter Eight

Taiyoo Soshite Tsuki  
(Sun and Moon)  
By: Sinead

Chapter Eight: Forgiveness  
Year 5874

Tsuki Hellcat saw their faces as soon as she had gotten the screen to come up properly. Maximal technology was _so_ much different than the Predacon technology that she had grown up on. Dinobot's voice came over the intercom by her left. "Why did you want to see them?"

"I know . . . _we_ know, more than one of those bots." She stopped, then asked in a black voice, in the language of their Deceptacon ancestors, "Is that one of _them_?!"

Dinobot sighed, then replied in the same language, "Yes. He is called Tarantulus, now. There had been one other, Scorpinok, who had been one of the rehabilitation scientists."

"The one that had disappeared a week before you left?"

"Yes."

"What happened to him?"

"I . . . do not know. All I have heard, was that he died in the Quantum surge."

"I hope he got what he deserved."

"As do I."

The newly-named Hellcat heard Megatron's voice, his words, as Tarantulus walked over to stand by him. "Give us the female who arrived yesterday. She is a Predacon by right, by birth, and by practice, therefore she belongs with us."

Optimus held Rattrap's remarks back with a hand gesture, before replying to the tyrant, "She's allied herself with us willingly."

"Is. That. So. Let her out, then!"

The still-Predacon femme fatale sighed, activating her comm-link, speaking in the Deceptacon language. Her name for Megatron was less-than-honorable, but caused Dinobot and the Predacons to laugh. Tarantulus glanced warily at Rampage, who was laughing the hardest out of all of them. He, out of all the other Predacons, knew especially that when the leviathan laughed like that, trouble would soon follow.

Megatron replied in the standard language with a curse as black as the name Hellcat had graced him with. The Predacons were still snickering, as the Maximals were looking on in confusion. Megatron growled, "What. Who are you."

"The female you're trying to argue about," she replied in the standard language, so that the Maximals would understand her as well. "Who do you think you are, speaking as if you have any right over me? I've decided to stay with the Maximals. Don't think that just because we share a faction, means that we think the same way; hold to the same virtues. I most certainly hope that I _don't_ think like you."

"You are Predacon!"

"Granted I can't change my faction . . . I just don't feel like it . . . but I _can_ change the way I live. Leave, before I embarrass you in front of your troops."

"Make me."

Tsuki Hellcat sighed. "Oh, have it your way. Look at Rampage."

Megatron did, and was shocked. The crab was sitting on the grass, head in his hands, elbows resting upon his knees, listening to the conversation lightly. He had seemed to be studying a flower that was between his feet. He blinked, when he had heard his name. "Hm?"

"What the _Pit_ are you doing?!"

"Why would you care?" Tsuki replied. "But look at him: he has no will to fight me, or those who I am residing with. That should tell you something."

"Course it should tell him something. But do you think he'll listen?" the crab asked with a snort. "I don't want to be killed by you."

"You . . . _you_ can be _killed_?!" Megatron shrieked.

Rampage snickered, stood, and stretched. "I may possess a so-called immortal Spark, but that Predacon has . . . something else. Even _I'm_ not allowed to speak of it. I don't think that even _she_ knows about it yet." He gave the impression of grinning. "But now, I'm not even going to think of messing with that femme. The last time we fought . . . hmm . . . I think that you _nearly_ killed me."

Tsuki Hellcat laughed, and replied, "We'll have a rematch. I'll go easy on you. But listen to him, Megatron. Listen . . . and learn. Hellcat out."

The Predacons left, Tarantulus looking over his shoulder worriedly a few times. Hellcat saw this, but shook her head. Dinobot's voice came up through the speaker, slightly distorted. "Was that a wise tactic?"

Hellcat turned it off and walked back to the sickbay, where she sat on the bed next to him, and rested her hand on his chest. They only watched each other, not saying anything, until Optimus entered the room again. "You took a chance. Rampage might have said the opposite."

"Megatron already knew that I was here. And we've known Rampage for going on eleven years. He's been a sweetheart for half of that time."

"Half? _Sweetheart?!_"

"We didn't really get along when we were younger," Dinobot chuckled. "But I take it that you never knew that those Maximal scientists had started to rely upon us. Rampage was getting too out-of-hand, and we were the only ones, save Depth Charge, who could bring him back to a rational mind. Suu, Hellcat, rather, to be specific, and the other four femmes. Us males . . . were no good at it."

Optimus smiled, nodded, and left, saying that both should get their rest. Hellcat sighed, and reached her hand out, palm towards Dinobot, who pressed his palm against hers. Their fingers entwined, and the femme allowed herself to be pulled gently closer to her life-partner. "I love you, Taiyoo."

His optics blackened, and he sat up, embracing her and burying his head in her shoulder. Tsuki Hellcat rubbed the back of his neck, and he broke down. She sighed, then rested her cheek against his head. "I never knew how lonely you were, even when we were together."

"Don't leave me."

"I never will. We'll leave together, when you feel that it is time."

"My comrades . . ."

"I know. We can track them down, when we're back on Cybertron. I actually passed by them returning, when I was taking my Jump."

He pushed her away from him, slightly, glaring into her eyes. "You're taking me away."

Tsuki sat back, stung, a look of complete desolation within her eyes, and hovering around her face. She looked away, unable to meet Dinobot's gaze any longer, as tears began to fall. The male ex-Predacon reached out for her, his fingertips brushing her arm lightly. Tsuki turned back to him, pressing her face against his chest, sobbing. Dinobot held her back in confusion, knowing that he had said something wrong. But he couldn't shift to his human mode, since he had forgotten what he had been wearing . . . if he had been wearing anything at all.

Primus! He'd never hear the end of it!

Before long, however, he remembered that he had indeed been wearing something comfortable. Baggy pants, almost a teal color, and a white loose shirt, one of the many expendable ones that his mother had given him for his birthday. No shoes, no footwear whatsoever. None of them ever really had worn footwear, anyway.

Then again, he wasn't as sure. What if that was something he had remembered wearing for a special occasion? Granted, he and Tsuki had seen each other stark naked before, but that was when they were much younger, innocent of hormonal desires, as well as a full understanding of the attraction they now possessed for each other . . . but that was also in the . . . the labs. They had no choice then. He didn't want to get walked in on, either, but . . . but he had to comfort Tsuki.

Aah, the slag with it. Nothing mattered, now. Tsuki was here.

He moved her away from him, and stood. She wasn't looking at him. With a start, he realized that she thought he was going to leave again. Swiftly, hoping that his balance wouldn't fail him, he dropped to his beast mode, then back up to his human mode, only to grip the bed on either side of Tsuki's legs at the last moment, so that he wouldn't fall over. He looked down at himself, and sighed with immense relief. Although the shirt had been left behind, the pants were in place, and held up by a belt. Good. He didn't have to worry about Rattrap walking in on them.

He gently tugged on Tsuki's arm, so that she was looking at him. His voice was soft. "Can you help me?"

She couldn't resist a small smile, and a weak joke. "You're beyond help, Tai."

"I know; you've pointed that out numerous times before. But I can't walk to the bed that you took."

Tsuki Hellcat slipped down, and draped one of Taiyoo Dinobot's arms over her shoulders, supporting him, even though she was still crying. They made it to the bed, and Dinobot sat upon it, sighing, as he relaxed his legs. That had hurt, but he wasn't going to give up.

The femme was turning away, when her partner gently grasped her elbow, turning her to face him. "Please."

She almost threw herself at him, but managed not to knock him over. He pulled her fully up on the bed, and folded her within his arms, sighing in contentment. She sobbed harder than the last time, as he whispered, "I remember . . . the last time we had sat like this . . . Primus . . . the night before I left you. I never wanted to let you go. But I didn't want to see you compromised. Megatron . . . by the Pit, this is hard to say to you, Suu . . . but he would have raped you, or tried to, and in front of everyone, myself, my parents, your father . . . everyone we knew, loved, or have ever encountered in our lives. He had planned it all . . . I broke into his computer, where it was documented. I saved that for criminal evidence for when the time was right. That's why I had to go. I didn't want to see that happen to you. I didn't want you to have to suffer through that pain, to not trust even the males, our brothers, of our group . . . not even me . . . ever since I had . . ."

His voice wafted off, and Tsuki Hellcat looked up to his face, her black eyes meeting his sky-blue ones. She was breathing normally again, which was a relief to her life-partner. Yet her next words brought upon a blush. "Ever since you had what?"

He swallowed, shaking his head, his voice strangled. "N-Nothing."

"Taiyoo?"

"Yes?"

"Don't lie to me."

He stopped, then rested his nose against hers, closing his eyes. "Ever since we were seventeen, late in our sixteenth year, at best, and I had wanted . . . to, uh . . ." He groaned. "Remember 'The Talk'?"

Tsuki laughed, a sound that instantly raised Taiyoo's spirits. "Is that it? Gosh, Tai . . . you mean, what was it that your mom called it . . ." She blushed as well, still laughing. "Your mother was a riot, when she was talking to me! You should have been there, but I had closed you out for a reason."

"True. I don't think that I would have wanted to know half of the things she told you, anyway."

"She's still a virgin, I think."

He swore fluently in three languages, English, Predaconian, and Decepticonian, all under ten seconds, his face almost a shade of purple. "Did I absolutely _have_ to know that?!"

"Well, I'm kind of wondering if that's true, now that you and me are out here, leaving her, Satsujinhan'nin, and Dad all alone."

"Don't you even _think_ about bringing your father into this."

Tsuki chuckled, and rested her head upon his bare shoulder, feeling his skin prickle as she did so. "Nervous?"

". . . what?"

"Are you nervous?"

He was silent for a moment, then relaxed noticeably. "Yes."

"You shouldn't be."

"Why?"

Tsuki kissed his chin, which soon was replaced by his own mouth meeting hers in a gentle kiss. Once they pulled back away, Tsuki closed her eyes, and rested her forehead upon his shoulder. He looked at the door, saw a red optic there, and held Tsuki closer, glaring at the optic. It blinked once in acknowledgment, then left. Tsuki looked up at him, but he had relaxed as swiftly as he had tensed, and blinked at her softly. "Sorry."

"No you're not."

"Tsuki . . ."

She smiled, and held him still closer. "Oh, get on with it." She smiled gently at him. _And I know that you want this._

_As do you. It isn't a one-sided relationship. None of the others remained virgins in all three modes as long as we have._

They smiled at each other once more, before Dinobot commanded the lights out, releasing one more sigh. Maybe life would pick back up for them. But he said something quickly to her, and she acknowledged it with an almost sad reply, knowing that he was right.

Rattrap sighed dramatically, as the picture dimmed. Before the night-vision kicked in, he shut it off, and leaned back in his chair, to see Optimus glaring at him. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Annoying da Choppuhface. He knows dat I was foolin'."

"By Primus, I do. Feel lucky, Vermin, that Tsuki cannot sense electronics as I can." He strode into the room in his robot mode, and smiling, oddly. Optimus had only seen this type of smile on Dinobot's face once before . . . when it was himself, Primal, flat on his back, and recovering from the cyber-bee. "And you're lucky that I distracted her. She would hold no mercies to you."

Rattrap grinned, then asked, "Where is she?"

"Asleep."

"And you snuck out? Bad bot."

"Hmph! Bad yourself! She knows I am up, talking to you and Primal, and she knows that I want her to sleep."

"Then what do you call what you were doin' in there?!"

"In your terms, a show. For me and her . . . hnh! . . . foreplay."

"That's more than enough, you two!" Optimus interceded, before the conversation could proceed any farther. "What I want to know, is _why_ you're out here, Dinobot."

Rattrap and Dinobot grinned to each other. Rattrap shook his head. "Nah, I don't think dat you'd say what I think dat you're plannin' ta say, by dat look in your optics."

"Slaggit. That would send him off the deep end, though."

"Didn't I tell you two to knock that off?"

Rattrap snickered. "Dat's because he's never had a good–"

"I SAID ENOUGH!!!"

"Sheesh, just foolin' . . . y'know, haha?"

"Rodent, enough. You _were_ pushing it." Dinobot turned to Optimus. "So what are my duties?"

"Matrix, Dinobot! You're just up, and it didn't even look like you would ever _wake_ up a mere three days ago! You're not doing _anything_, until Rhinox and I are convinced that you won't relapse like _I_ did!"

Dinobot blinked once, slowly. "We don't relapse."

Optimus stopped, and seemed to consider this for a moment. With a sigh, he shook his head. "Two more days, and then you'll be back upon the duty roster. Hellcat said so herself. Free time to recover, even if you don't need it, until then. Happy?"

"Duties, Primal?"

"RECOVER, SLAGGIT!!!"

"Affirmative."

Optimus blinked, then chuckled, as Dinobot was grinning. Rattrap had been holding in his laughter, but let it free, when the leader succumbed to the tease. "Primus, Dinobot, I hope that you weren't like this back on Cybertron!"

"I was worse, Primal, and Hellcat can affirm that with you. Even though you saw us, you never even met us."

"An act I wish had happened."

"I agree." Dinobot sighed, and smiled once, then said, "Suu has nightmares, and they start usually around this time of night. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Later, Choppuhface."

"Whatever, Vermin."


	11. Chapter Nine

Taiyoo Soshite Tsuki  
(Sun and Moon)  
By: Sinead

Chapter Nine: Falter  
Year 5874

"EVERYONE TO THE COMMAND CENTER!!!"

Tsuki Hellcat awoke with a start, and then looked to Taiyoo . . . Dinobot . . . in his human mode, and looking back at her. Her ears rang at the sudden noise, but they shifted to their robot modes, nonetheless, and ran out, down towards the command room. Primal indicated that they look outside. She still hadn't gotten used to the sounds of the _Axalon_, even two weeks later.

"What the Pit . . . I'm going out there."

"It might be a trick, Hellcat," Cheetor said quietly.

The femme shook her head. "No. He's out cold, from shock. But . . . what could put Rampage out like that?"

Optimus sighed. "Don't ask. You really don't want to know."

The cat Fuzor crept closer silently, watching around her, as she reached the bot. Finally, she was by his head, and could see recent damage that had healed over. "Xanthos."

He groaned, moving slightly. "Prepare for death."

"Xanthos, don't make me throw you down the waterfall, Big Brother."

He blinked, emerald optics blank. "I threatened you . . . I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

Waves of energy washed over the Transmetal, and he screamed in agony, his hands clutching at his chest, curling up into himself. Megatron walked out from behind some rocks, holding aloft a SparkBox. "Aah, so you are alone."

"Autoguns, online! Fire on my command!" Hellcat screeched, hissing, and transforming. She drew her double-handed sword, and readied herself for combat. "No more. This isn't Cybertron, Megatron. There is no need for what you want to do to me."

He paused. He hadn't expected her to know about his plans for her torture . . . his pleasure. "What did you say?"

"You heard me. Not only did you want me the way that you did, but you also took away my life, my love, almost _every_thing that was important to me."

"Taiyoo."

"Mm-hm. And if you take one step closer, I'll prove that box in your hand to be useless."

He laughed, squeezing the box. Rampage screamed, then passed out again. Within an instant, Dinobot was out with her. His rarely-used broadsword was in his hands, and a glare set upon his face. Megatron gawked at him. "You should be dead!"

"Should be," Dinobot hissed. "Yet you know nothing about us, to try to make that accusation. And don't think that she can't do that."

"I'll make a deal with you, then," Megatron crowed. "If she can cause Rampage to be independent from the box, then I'll leave without one word. However, if she fails, she comes willingly to the Predacon base."

_Don't. Please. We can free him soon, Suu!_

_Taiyoo, let me do this. He's been suffering, knowing that I was here, and that I couldn't help him, until I helped you. I'm surprised that he has waited as patiently as he did for this long._

_Tsuki . . . I love you. If he tries . . ._

_I'll go to the base, if I lose. Once I'm in it fully, both feet, I'm blasting it apart. If I lose, that is. I don't plan on it. You know about that last resort energy-blast I can do._

_Fine. But I'm going to follow you._

_Don't be seen, please._

Tsuki crouched down, placing a hand upon Rampage's neck, feeling him come to. "You'll feel a lot of pain in a moment, but it will be over soon. I promise you, that I won't cause you to die."

"I . . . I understand," Rampage said weakly. "I'll try to remember that I won't hurt you."

"You'll be out cold, I'm sorry to say."

"Hopefully. Hurry."

She smiled, stood, and deactivated her optics, feeling the emotional connection between her own Spark, and Rampage's. It was the connection between two siblings. With a flash, the white sensors were online again, and she was glaring at Megatron. "Place the box on the rock next to you, and stand two paces away from it."

"I do hope that you'll fail, sweetling."

"Call me that again, and I'll kill you."

Something in the tone of her voice convinced Megatron to put the SparkBox upon the rock, and do as she said. Hellcat sheathed her sword, and felt the invisible energy wrap around her hands. With a yell, she spaced her hands unevenly, causing the half of the Spark to flatten.

Rampage screamed in his agony, but Dinobot placed his hand over the crab's chest, blocking the pain.

Hellcat then pulled her hands towards her, squeezing the Spark through the spikes of Energon, and then released it. Dinobot backed away from the panting giant, and the half-Spark raced to its owner. The box hadn't moved one millimeter from where Megatron had placed it.

Hellcat was glaring at Megatron. "You'll leave now, without a word. Remember your promise."

The tyrant turned and left, and Tsuki knelt by Rampage. Rhinox was out there in an instant, crouching by the Predacon femme. "Why hasn't his Spark gone back in?"

"He's too weak. I'd get back if I were you. He'd only let one of us do this. Dinobot, please, you too."

"If he forgets . . ."

"Then you can slag him within an inch of his life, or until he comes to."

"Very well."

"Don't enjoy it too much."

"You always have to spoil my fun."

"Well . . . yeah."

Dinobot walked a good few paces away, and Tsuki rested her hands upon Rampage's chest. "You're gonna hate me, but I have to do this." She ripped a hole in his outer armoring, causing him to awaken, but, surprisingly, he stayed still. She glanced at him, and saw that the other half of his Spark was over his face. He was staring at it, distracting himself from his pain.

Hurrying, she reached his true Spark, then widened the hole slightly, feeling him tremble beneath her touch. The other half raced in, and she leapt away, as he healed himself in record time, curling around his chest, shaking with pain. Hellcat gently pulled him out of that position, and sat him up, standing in front of him. He was still trying to regain his balance completely, so Dinobot stood next to him, steadying him with a hand to his shoulder. Rhinox and Optimus walked around so that they were standing behind Tsuki Hellcat. The giant Transmetal sighed shakily, whispering, "I'm sorry. I wish that I had known that he was going to try something like that."

"Where's the chip, Rampage."

"T . . . Dinobot." He looked over at the slightly younger bot, who had spoken. "My back. Between my shoulders. I can't reach it. It will be protected."

"Slag. How?"

"Dunno."

"I can nullify that," Tsuki whispered, smiling. "May Dinobot remove it?"

Rampage nodded, and shut his optics off, preparing to hold off his healing process, until the chip was out. He felt pain, near his spine, and had Hellcat not grabbed his face, and angled it up towards her own, then he would have all but killed Dinobot.

"Slaggit! There it goes!"

Hellcat's optics shut off, and she pushed her consciousness into Rampage's body, rasing ahead of the virus that would attack his Spark. She knew that it was the one thing that could kill him.

It was the control virus.

"Forgive me," she whispered, as she cut her own hand, drawing mech towards the surface. Without thinking, she thrust her hand into Rampage's chest cavity, and then guided the virus to her open wound upon her hand. Once she felt it completely within her own system, she pulled free, and fell to the ground.

Dinobot reached her, and pulled her up towards him, bowing his head over hers, and whispering, "Tsuki . . . stay with me, Suu . . ."

"I . . . I am. Primus . . . This hurts . . ." He would have opened their connection, but she shook her head, quickly feeling his want to heal her. "It'll attack you, too, and . . . and I don't want to see you back on that bed." Dinobot nodded brokenly, and she whispered, "Don't even talk through our Spark. I . . . I can beat this, but . . . hold me."

Rampage saw the two, and then looked at Rhinox. "Could you heal . . . repair her?"

He shrugged, and crouched next to the couple. "Hellcat, listen to me. Stay alert."

"Am."

"Good. What did you take on?"

"Virus . . . attacks Spark . . ." Dinobot's face lost color, as he looked down at his life-partner. She took in a painful deep breath. "I can overcome it . . . I . . . I think. But . . . I don't know."

"Why did you take it on?" Optimus asked quietly. The other Maximals were around him, now, watching, silent. They had seen a scene like this before, and not too long ago. Painful memories were resurfacing; only Rampage could watch without feeling a sort of regret . . . but he was angry at himself that it had happened, that he had caused Tsuki pain and suffering.

Rattrap was kneeling on the ground next to Rhinox. "Is dere nothin' we can do?"

"It's attracted . . . by Spark signature." Hellcat's optics hadn't reactivated since she had taken on the virus.

An idea started to blossom within Rhinox's mind. "How long does it take to kill?"

"A nanoclick." Tsuki Hellcat activated her optics, and grinned at him. "I . . . should have died the moment I . . . pulled my hand free . . . you know." She sighed, and clenched her wounded hand, then healed it as best as she could. "But we were . . . tested for this kind of thing. . . . I was one of the best at getting over it."

"You have . . . an immortal Spark?"

"No . . . but closer to it than Xanthos has."

Rattrap blinked, and Dinobot indicated Rampage, who was still sitting behind them, watching Tsuki. The rodent asked the killer in a cynical, accusing voice, "Well? You happy?"

"No. Never was, either, unless I was around Hellcat, Dinobot, and their friends."

Rattrap shut up, and looked at his hands. Rampage stood, rubbed the shorter bot's head affectionately, surprising him, and then said, "I know how to get it out of her system, and how to get rid of it."

Rhinox blinked up at Rampage. "First off, is she safe to move?"

"Of course. Her condition is stable, and is actually slowly improving. Wouldn't count on her beating it within three, five days, though." He blinked at the Axalon, changing the subject. "I won't be able to fit in it."

"Your pod did," Cheetor said, his naivete getting the better of him. He remembered who he was then speaking to, and stiffened, readying for a fight.

Rampage shook his head. "My shape changed, you must remember. I didn't have _these_ hanging off of my back when I was forced into the pod."

"O-oh. Right."

"Let's get her inside, first, and then we'll worry about that in a moment. Rattrap, get Sentinel. You know what to do."

Rattrap nodded, remembering the defense program he had made. It was a threat program. If a Spark signature was entered into the database, Sentinel would monitor the activity of the individual at all times. If the bot did something questionable then Sentinel would kick in, if there was any malice in the Spark's emotions.

Rattrap ran inside, something to do to distract himself, and programmed Rampage's Spark signature into the program, then called, "Rattrap to Optimus. It's done."

"Good."

The comm cut out, and the others were soon in. Rattrap looked to Silverbolt. "Where's Hellcat?"

"The cargo bay. She wanted to be near Rampage, and I have the feeling that he felt the same way." He paused. "But isn't she and Dinobot together?"

Rattrap nodded, smiling. "Yeah, but remember dat she called Rampage 'Big Brother.' Dey 're as close as family. Dat's why."

"Oh."

"Go get sleep. I'll take 'ya shift. I have a few programs ta work on, anyways."

Rhinox looked to Rampage, who handed him a small component. "That one you just put in won't work. The charge is wrong."

"The virus has a charge?"

"Sparks have a positive charge, you have to remember. Virus has a negative charge; so does that."

"It would dig deeper into her Spark, you mean."

"And we don't want that."

"Gotcha. How is it transferred?"

"Mech-fluid. I'm donating it, so don't ask anyone about it. It will recognize mine."

"If you insist. What will happen to Hellcat?"

"She'll most likely pass out. I'll have Dinobot beside her. Not like he'll move from her side anytime soon."

"I thought I told him to get rest."

Rampage snorted. "Hah. Yeah. Rest. He's _rest_ing his lips against hers."

". . . I really didn't need to know that, Rampage."

"Now you do!" the killer replied cheerily.

Tsuki Hellcat was sleeping lightly, her breathing unsteady, but there. Dinobot was holding her hand in both of his, watching her face. He didn't notice when Rampage came up behind him, until the hand rested upon his shoulder. "How is she?"

"Primus . . . announce when you're coming up behind me, slaggit . . . she's asleep, but is alive."

Rampage sat on her other side. "She'll have some pain, when we extract the virus."

"Define 'some.'"

The Transmetal rubbed at his head, then looked back at the ex-Predacon, sighing. "She might beg for you to kill her."

"_You_ showed no pain."

"I had her slagging hand almost up to her elbow in my chest! Do you expect me to feel the virus leaving my system, when she's digging through my internal sensors?!"

Dinobot looked away, angry at himself for snapping out that comment. Rampage shook his head. "I could distract the pain, and so could you. But we both know that neither of us would do that willingly."

"Affirmative." He paused. "When . . . when will the process be ready?"

"Not too long. That's why I came to speak to you. I wanted to warn you."

"Thank you."

Kelsi's face drifted past Tsuki, as she dreamt. Satsujinhan'nin was there as well, watching her, silent, but steadfast. Wrangler stood closer to her, his hand held out, as if he were going to help her up. She reached out towards him, and felt his hand grasp hers, then pull her upwards.

She activated her optics, and saw Dinobot where her father had been; Rampage was where Satsujinhan'nin was. She looked back to Dinobot, who held her tightly to him once. "It will hurt, Tsuki."

She sighed, then looked up at him and asked, "How much?"

"Remember when we had the original tests against this type of thing?"

"Yes."

"More than that."

"Primus . . ."

Rampage said, "We have to hurry. The primer won't last too much longer."

She looked to him, and nodded, then hid her face against Dinobot's shoulder. "Get it over with."

Dinobot's arms wrapped securely around her, as Rampage made a quick incision where there were only a few nerves close to the surface. He pressed the small devise against the wound, and activated it. Instantly, Tsuki whimpered with the pain. Dinobot bowed his head, deactivating his optics, and clutching her close to his chest.

Tsuki felt as if everything from inside her were being crushed, then sucked out through the small wound. It seemed as if there were something else, though, that wouldn't let go of her . . .

"Xanthos . . ." she whispered.

"I can't stop pulling the virus out, Tsuki."

"It's not letting go."

He looked at her, then at Dinobot. "If you wish to kill me afterwards, then you may, Taiyoo."

"Why? What are you . . ."

Rampage whispered a wish for forgiveness, before plunging his hand into Tsuki's back. She felt it, and deactivated her optics, swallowing, following his movements, hoping that he knew what he was doing.

His hand grazed her Spark, then pulled free unexpectedly, drawing the last of the virus out, into the container, then sealing it. He was turning away, when Dinobot grasped his arm. "If you hadn't warned me, then you would have been dead where you stand."

Tsuki's voice, weak, but there, whispered, "You know that I've always forgiven you, Xanthos."

Rampage looked at her, smiling, and replied, "I know. Thank you." After she fell asleep, he looked up at Dinobot. "If I had a femme like her for a life-partner, you can bet that she'd never leave my sight. You're lucky, Dinobot. You're really lucky to have someone like her."

Dinobot shook his head. "I nearly lost her, Rampage. Twice now, I nearly lost her forever."

"What do you mean?"

Dinobot shook his head. "I'll let her tell you, if she wants you to know."

The larger Predacon nodded, and then placed the virus on the table, and sat, resting his head in his hands. Rhinox walked in, seeing them in the poses that they had taken on. Dinobot had laid Hellcat upon a bed, and was patching her up. He didn't notice Rhinox entering, and the technician didn't feel like announcing his presence. Dinobot's movements were fluid, gentle, but purposeful. Not for the first time, did Rhinox wonder what horrors that bot had seen in his past.

With a sigh, Dinobot rested his hands upon the high bed, and let his head hang. Rhinox walked further into the cargo bay, up to Rampage. "How is she?"

"Surviving. Sleeping it off. Like the slagging human she is."

"I'll take offence," Dinobot's voice echoed over, the tones dull and tired.

Rhinox chuckled, and looked at the table. The component was there, looking harmless in the white light focused upon it. He sighed, and looked to Rampage. "How do we destroy it?"

"We can't. I said I can get rid of it."

"How?"

"You wouldn't approve of my idea of infecting the Predacons . . . so I'll say drop it in lava. I know of a lava stream that will erupt. I was hoping to throw Megatron into it, but that isn't necessary now."

"Bloodthirsty fiend," Rattrap's voice muttered. He appeared out of the shadows, and looked at the experiment. "I'd take ta da infection deal, but neither of dose two over there would let you."

Rampage chuckled evilly, and looked to Dinobot, who was walking over. "Well?"

"She's sleeping deeply. But you should stay still. I didn't get that slagging chip out."

The larger bot blinked. "What."

"You heard me."

"I didn't feel it doing anything."

"Someone's controlling it."

"How do you know?"

"The design."

"Get it out now. I don't want to turn on you. Not after what Tsuki did for me."

Dinobot nodded, and said, "Apologies, since this will hurt."

"Will you get it done already?!"

Dinobot fairly punched through the Transmetal's armor, and grasped the chip, then stopped. "Oh, slag."

"What now?" Rampage groaned.

"Explosive."

"Oh, slag."

Tsuki's laughter sounded, and she walked slowly over, shaking her head. "You couldn't wait the three minutes that I would take to get up, could you? Aah, let me see."

Dinobot removed his hand, then let Tsuki see. "Oh, you big, strong men are too intelligent for words."

They blinked at her.

She shook her head, and pulled the bomb free, then ripped it apart, literally, until she found a small component with three wires leading into it. She snapped that, and then blinked at the once-blinking light. "Simple."

Rampage slumped, then sighed. "I don't know what the slag we'd do without you."

"Die."

Rattrap laughed, as Rampage tackled the smaller Predacon, who easily moved out of his grasp, and lifted him over her head, to toss aside. "Remember that?! Do 'ya?!"

He was laughing, nodding.

Optimus walked in, and saw Rampage try to pin her again, only to be tossed aside once more. He blinked at Rhinox, who was laughing at the sight of the lithe femme tossing the big bulky one around like it was nothing. Dinobot was keeping out of the way, smiling. He ended up standing next to his leader, who asked, "Is there something about this that seems odd to you?"

"Negative. Why do you ask?" Dinobot replied, looking at Primal for one moment.

Optimus shook his head, and smiled. "She's a good ally."

Dinobot grinned to Rattrap, and replied, "As well as a good bed-partner."

The leader hid his face in his hands, groaning.


	12. Chapter Ten

Taiyoo Soshite Tsuki  
(Sun and Moon)  
By: Sinead

Chapter Ten: Battle  
Year 5877

Kelsi looked out the window, at the troops going past. Sastujinhan'nin rested his hand upon her shoulder, and whispered, "They're decreeing that all humans are to return to Earth."

She looked up at him, then hissed, "I'm not leaving here."

"None of the others are leaving, either."

She sighed, and looked at her hands. "I wish that I knew of a place we could hide."

Her partner took her hand, and led her to their room, reaching under the bed, and pulling out a holo-map, activating it. "Look."

"What's that?"

"A refuge. We're all going." He activated his comm-link. "Satsujinhan'nin to Ai."

"Ai. What is it?"

"Everyone ready?"

"Yes. Supplies have all been stored down there. We're all set to go. There's an encoded note for Tsuki when she gets back from her mission."

"Good. Thank you."

"I have to oversee some more supplies going down. Ai out."

He looked to her. "Get some changes packed, as well as any records of Taiyoo. Wrangler's doing the same with Tsuki's records."

"Why?"

"We can't let Megatron know that she left."

Kelsi was holding onto Satsujinhan'nin's neck, her face buried against his shoulder. It was a few months later, and Shizukesa had returned from a scout mission, saying that there were no more Cybertronians left topside.

Satsujinhan'nin sighed, and ran his hand over the tangled mess of curls Kelsi sported. Bits of lighter colors, namely, grey, had been creeping into her hair over the past two years, when no word of Tsuki or Taiyoo had been heard. He knew she was aging, and was saddened to see the effects ageing had upon the humans.

The father kissed her forehead gently, and held her, hoping for better times.

Hellcat and Dinobot ran up to Cheetor, speaking their report in soft tones. Optimus was still recovering from reformatting Nightscream. Rampage soon caught up with them, his gargoyle beast mode still bulky. However, Hellcat and Dinobot weren't reformatted. Their unique lineage and systems didn't react at all to the virus, and they didn't want to see what would have happened to them, had they been reformatted.

Cheetor blinked. "You found more survivors?"

"Yes," Dinobot replied. "But don't let Nightscream know. Hellcat and I are taking Rampage, Depth Charge, and Rattrap with us to speak with them."

"Why?"

Dinobot wasn't prepared for this question. Tsuki smiled. "Because they're our family. They'll most likely come back with us."

"Okay. Go."

They nodded, and left, with Rampage in tow. Hellcat stopped by the arguing Depth Charge and Rattrap, telling them a portion of what they told Cheetor. The two followed, as expected, with the Chinese dragon racing ahead to scout with Rampage. Rattrap stayed upon Rampage's back with some difficulty.

What they didn't expect, however, was for Ai and Kiran to hold a defensive line.

Rattrap was watching the shadows, seeing four smaller shadows moving slightly. A movement closer by caused him to turn his head sharply. He found himself looking into quite a familiar face. Before he could say anything, Dinobot ran into the room, bypassing Rattrap, and transforming in front of the bot who . . . Rattrap blinked, not believing his eyes. He looked over at the Predacon femme.

Hellcat flew into her father's arms, laughing and sobbing at the same time. Rattrap looked back at Dinobot, to see him being roughly embraced by his . . . his father, as Rattrap now saw.

A dark-haired human came running out of the shadows, to push the two apart, only to embrace the younger Predacon. He was smiling, and rubbing at his optics, chuckling. He leaned over, and held the human back gently, looking years younger than what he had made himself seem when in the early stages of the Beast Wars. The other Predacons were circling around them, asking questions, talking, laughing, and ignoring the three Maximals.

Dinobot broke free, over to Rattrap, and smiled genuinely. "Come. I want you to meet my parents."

Rattrap hopped down, then ambled next to the once-again Predacon, to the human and the older Predacon. The human was currently embracing and scolding Tsuki at the same time. She stopped, when the femme kissed her cheek, and whispered, "Thank you."

"Mom," Dinobot said gently, surprising Rattrap.

She looked at him, then down at the rodent sitting up by him. Her smile widened. "Come on, introduce me! He's cute."

"Kelsi, remember who you belong to!" Tsuki's father growled playfully. The human laughed, and reached up to touch Satsujinhan'nin's nose. The Predacon wrinkled it, then snorted. "Slaggit, Kelsi . . . fine. Taiyoo, introduce the short one, then the other two."

"Rattrap, this is my mother, Kelsi, and my father, Satsujinhan'nin."

The rat looked up at the father of his best friend. "I think dat I'll leave da annoyin' o' of him up to you, Choppuhface."

Dinobot laughed, and then indicated the gargoyle. "There's Rampage, Xanthos, back to his original personality, and Depth Charge, his guard." He grinned to two of the Predacons. "Once-guard. Remember him?"

Uso and Shinri laughed, then went over to Rampage, talking with him. Rattrap found himself being picked up, and to look into a face that looked nearly like Dinobot's, but was also different. The voice was identical to Dinobot's own. "Hmph. And what might you have meant, by annoying? My son's very existence annoys me."

Dinobot was grinning. "Oh, but alas, I missed you more."

"Mind your sarcasm, son."

Tsuki walked up to them, and said, "Satsujinhan'nin, would you mind letting him go for a moment? He has yet to meet my father."

"Oh? Hmph. I hope you survive, Maximal."

As soon as Rattrap was out of the tall Predacon's grasp, Tsuki embraced her life-partner's father. "I missed you."

"At least."

"A lot?"

"Better."

Satsujinhan'nin chuckled, and said, "We have to plan that wedding. Make it small, so your father can afford it easily."

Tsuki managed to get out of his grasp, and held Rattrap up to face her father, who was watching the whole interaction, smiling. "Dad, this is Rattrap. Rattrap, meet my father, Wrangler."

"Great. More people like Dino-butt. I'm gonna die."

She laughed, and Tatakai asked, "Who?"

Tsuki laughed. "Taiyoo. They called him Dinobot in the Wars, and I was called Hellcat."

"Fitting name," Shi and Jinsei commented together.

Optimus walked out into the main cavern of the Oracle wearily, just in time to see Rattrap, Rampage, and Depth Charge walking back, in front of a group of people. Nightscream was watching in wonder, as Dinobot and Hellcat came running up, towards Optimus. Taiyoo Dinobot had a human actually _riding_ upon his back, next to a sightly-larger Velociraptor, in redder shades. Tsuki Hellcat was keeping pace next to a pitch-black panther.

The Maximal leader blinked, as they came to a stop in front of him and Nightscream. Dinobot allowed the human female off, as the larger 'Raptor snarled, "I take it that you are Optimus Primal, Maximal commander?"

Optimus blinked, and nodded at the voice. Dinobot shook his head. "Primal, this is my father, Satsujinhan'nin, and my mother, Kelsi."

She walked up to him, and said, "If you can't tell who said what, call me or Suu. We'll help you out."

"Matrix," Nightscream breathed. "That rumor was true."

Wrangler blinked, then asked, "What rumor, boy?"

"About the Predacon half-humans. I . . . I didn't even _think_ that . . . Primus."

Tsuki laughed, and reached up with a paw to tap his nose. "Watch." She turned to face the others, and yelled, "Who's up for practice?"

There was a roar of approval. Kirau belted out, "What form?"

"Human!"

They all shifted, Tsuki and Taiyoo included, and the femme turned to face Nightscream, white hair still flowing freely. "And if you think this is rough, wait until you see us against an enemy."

He shook his head, as Shi and Jinsei started battling, preforming acrobatic stunts easily. Each paired off, while the parents came over to introduce themselves to the Maximal leader. Even Tsuki and Taiyoo couldn't resist themselves, and ran over to join into the now-brawl. Wrangler chuckled at his daughter's antics. "Optimus Primal . . . hm. I think I know why you and your comrades were attacked with the transformation virus, and we weren't."

The leader sat, then replied, "Then please tell me."

"We are Predacons and humans. Megatron most likely knew that you were coming back sooner or later, and devised a virus that would specifically attack Maximal signatures."

Optimus blinked. "But what about Dinobot? He had been Maximal for a while."

"But he was born with a Predaconian energy signature," Stormsteel countered in his deep voice.

"Born?" Optimus asked. "Not created?"

Nari smiled, and replied, "You see all those humans out there? They were all created in a lab, but were 'born' when their embryo development was complete. They were born as humans."

Optimus was lost for words. Cheetor, who had joined them, wasn't. "But what about their beast modes? Were they acquired, or . . ."

"Everything was planned. They had inactive beast and robot modes up until the age of eight," Fola explained. "At eight, they discovered that they had beast modes. At ten, their robot modes. Luckily, they were born at around the same time, so we could proceed with training them quickly."

Optimus looked back at the group, seeing who he knew as Dinobot and Hellcat, acting like complete children, rough-housing, tumbling, laughing . . . free. Kelsi saw him watching her son, his emotions clear upon his face, and she asked, "Where is your child, Optimus?"

He looked up at her, surprised. "How . . . how did you know that I'm a father?"

She smiled, and indicated Satsujinhan'nin, who was watching Taiyoo with the same look upon his face, only . . . happier, in a sense. The Predacon looked at his life-partner, and smiled. "She forgave him. Completely."

"I know, Sats."

"So where's your kid?" Wrangler asked.

Optimus sighed, and shook his head. "I don't know. He had been living here with his mother, when Megatron got here. I don't think that he knew who they were. I hope he didn't."

Rampage patted Optimus' shoulder. "There are more bots in hiding than you know about. Depth Charge and I have found more than a few compounds, but didn't know what to do about them, until now. We can go see if they're among them."

Optimus looked at the once-killer, still trying to adjust to who the younger bot really was. Finally, he nodded. "Okay. Go. His name is Freefall."

"The mother's name?" Depth Charge asked gently.

"Terra."

The dragon nodded, and took off with the gargoyle in tow. Optimus looked back at the half-humans, and saw that they were all watching him. Kelsi chuckled. "He's fine, you lot. Enough of the emotion-sensing. Get back to sparring."

They blinked to one another, then followed Taiyoo and Tsuki over. The male leader asked, "Optimus, Suu and I have known you long enough to tell when you're fine, and when you're not."

He shook his head. "My son and wife are out there somewhere, and I don't know if they're even alive. Rampage and Depth Charge just left to look for them."

Tsuki smiled, and replied, "Two of our warriors could catch up with them, if you wanted us to do so."

Optimus chuckled. "No, I think that they'll be fine."

"Oh, okay."

Little did they know, that their safety, and their salvation, was going to come upon them the next day. None of the Predacons or Maximals remembered what happened, yet the human mothers remembered it vividly.

The Maximals battled . . . and lost.

The Predacon fathers battled, defending their mates fiercely.

The half-Predacon, half-humans lasted longer than the other two groups. And even among them, Taiyoo and Tsuki lasted longer.

They were with Optimus at the last moments, thinking of their parents, friends, and each other.

"You have to get away," Optimus hissed worriedly.

"We're _not_ leaving you!" Dinobot replied, his voice hoarse from shouting orders to his warriors.

Tsuki was binding a wound on her arm quickly, not wanting to waste precious energy upon healing herself. She didn't look up from her task. "Whatever you're planning to do, you'd better hurry. I don't have much more energy left, and neither does my life-partner."

He sighed, and bowed his head. "She speaks truth, Primal. I'm on reserve energy."

"We haven't used that in a while."

The Maximal looked to them, then up at where he knew Megatron was. "Please. Find the humans, and get them off of this planet. What I'm planning . . . I don't know how it will effect them."

The pair nodded, and left silently. Optimus didn't know, that they never reached Kelsi, Aolani, Fola, and Nari. The Predaconian life-partners were captured not a half-mile from where he stood.

One small hope was all that was left.

One candle, in a pitch-black void.

One spark, that could light a fire.

But would it?


	13. Chapter Eleven

Taiyoo Soshite Tsuki  
(Sun and Moon)  
By: Sinead

Chapter Eleven: Surprises  
Old Cybertronian Year: 5877  
New Cybertronian Year: 1

The Predacon sat up, and looked at his hands. They were odd, different. They weren't hands that he had ever had before. They were new. They weren't his that he knew of. He rubbed at his head, and his hand came away entangled in . . . hair. Reddish-brown hair.

Wait. Back up. Something was odd about this . . .

Hair?!

With a start, he looked at the rest of himself, seeing a reformatted warrior. He didn't move, not really able to understand all the new sensations that were passing over him. Finally, he looked up, and saw a black form sit in front of him, looking at him. "Wrangler?"

"Satsujin. Slag."

"What happened?"

"Dunno. I'm going this way to find the others. You?"

"I'll take the opposite route. If you find them . . . well, stick together. We'll find each other soon enough."

The reformatted panther nodded and ran off, just as Satsujinhan'nin was dropping to his beast mode. He began running in the opposite direction. Soon, he came upon four figures, each in a beast mode, and each looking confused, scared, and shaken. He blinked, then resolved to search for the others once he found out who these bots were. He also wanted to find out who the Velociraptor was, and why he had the others leaning against him.

"Are you in need of assistance?"

They all looked up as one, and the 'Raptor extirpated himself from the group, to come snout-to-snout with Satsujinhan'nin. "S-Sats?"

He blinked at the 'Raptor. "Primus. Kelsi . . . what happened to you?"

"I . . . I dunno. There was a light, and then _pain_, but . . . but now . . . we can . . ."

He reached up with a clawed hand, and gently touched her new face. "I know. Come, then. The others are Aolani, Fola, and Nari, I take it?"

"Yes. We're not used to bodies like this . . ."

"Hush, now. Everything will be fine. You can all walk?"

"Yes," came the shaky chorus.

Satsujinhan'nin sighed, then nodded. "Let's look for the others."

Wrangler roared with all his might, then threw himself at his reformatted daughter, who rolled with him, laughing, crying, ecstatically happy that he had survived. Soon, though, she looked to Taiyoo, who had been watching, smiling sadly. She went up to him, and reached up with a paw to touch his hand. He looked back down at her, and bowed his head. "You said that my father is alive, Wrangler?"

"Yes."

"What of my mother."

Cheetor looked over, when silence came from that area of the clearing. Rattrap was watching as well, with worry clear upon his face. The two walked over. "We can look for them. Chances are that someone will find . . . find something that will tell us what happened to them."

Taiyoo looked at the younger Maximal, and sighed. "Cheetor, I wish that I could be that optimistic. I don't think that the reformatting would have gone well with them. I don't even know if I still have my human mode, and . . . I slagging don't know."

An eerie screeching howl rent the air, and Taiyoo's head lifted high, to listen. _Suu . . . you heard that._

_Matrix . . . let's find them!_ She looked to Cheetor. "Wait here with the others. Don't move from this clearing. Dad, please stay here, too. Tai . . ."

He stared off, his long strides taking him through the trees. Tsuki easily kept up with him, using her long legs to help her maneuver around the trees that he brushed by. Stopping suddenly, Taiyoo threw his head back, calling out the answer to that call. It sounded again, with a higher note harmonizing with it, and he moved off towards it. Every few minutes or so, this happened, until they came upon the group.

Satsujinhan'nin ran forward to greet his son and daughter-in-law, then stepped aside, to show him the one who had harmonized with his call. "Do you know her?"

Taiyoo looked at his father, unable to decipher any emotions from his new face. He walked closer cautiously, and touched snouts with the slightly-smaller Velociraptor. Blinking, he did it again, feeling something in his Spark tremble . . .

"Mom?"

She smiled shyly, and nodded. Taiyoo rested his cheek against hers, the equivalent of an embrace, and then rested his head against her shoulder. Kelsi rested her hands on his neck, rubbing it gently. Neither said anything more for a while, until Tsuki walked over. Kelsi smiled down at her, then indicated Taiyoo, who was starting to drowse off. The younger femme smiled in return, and then balanced upon her hind legs, to lick Kelsi's snout. "You'll love having a beast mode."

She smiled, and replied, "I'll miss being human."

"Taiyoo and I don't know if our human modes transferred over. We might have lost them."

Satsujinhan'nin rubbed at her ears, then let his son's now-asleep form rest against his side. He picked him up, and moved his weight around slightly in his arms, until they were both comfortable. "Show us the way, Tsuki."

She smiled, then looked to the other three femmes, as well as two of the single fathers. "Everyone else is back with Dad, and the other Maximals. The rest of my group . . . we're going to look for them soon."

They called out affirmatives, and then followed the younger Predacon.

Taiyoo awoke. His head was upon a lap, and fingers were gently brushing his face, tracing his new features. He opened his eyes, and looked up into Tsuki's black eyes. "I'm glad that your eyes stayed nearly the same."

"I finally figured out what we were created for."

"Do I honestly want to know? I'm comfortable. It's not often that you let me grace your lap with my head."

"Oh, you!" she laughed, bowing closer for a moment, before stroking his straight nose. "You might not, but you don't have to move when I tell you."

"So . . . tell me."

She smiled sadly. "You and me, we're different than the others. We know that. They were the initial tries to get the balance you and I hold. Jinsei was originally supposed to be female, and your mate, hard as that seems, and I was going to be the male. But they couldn't work with Fola and Rapid's . . . you know . . . the egg and seed . . . they couldn't get that balance for some odd reason or another. The child would be another male, and they didn't want a male-male pair, and a femme-femme pair. They wanted us to mate, raise children, all that . . . so those options weren't even in the question."

She paused, and Taiyoo reached up to rest his hand upon her cheek. "Love . . . there's something else, isn't there?"

"Y-yeah . . . We . . . you and me . . . we're designed not to age, once the first child is born."

"What are you saying?"

"We're the government's secret killing machines . . . they designed us. I can control . . . I _could_ once control, energy. Like when I used to do that energy surge. You . . . I saw that you were able to control something . . . minds, I think. Something like that."

"You're talking in circles, love. What is it? _What are you saying?_"

She bit her lower lip. "We're . . . immortal."

Satsujinhan'nin looked to the newly-formed Kelsi, who had been getting used to her new body easily. He smiled reassuringly at her, and pulled her closer. "You've mastered more than just your body, Kels. You've mastered your mind and soul as well."

"You want something."

"Mm-hmm . . . my virgin."

Kelsi laughed, and wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling back at him. "Because I didn't want you to be hurt. You _know_ why. You . . . you would have out-lived me by a long shot."

His voice was grave, as he reached out to touch her cheek tenderly. "Affirmative. But now, Kelsi . . . will you?"

In answer, she tackled him, and they landed upon their bed in a passionate kiss, not noticing the open door. A familiar voice broke them apart. "Matrix, Mom, not one week as a Predacon, and you and Dad are already at it. And remember to close the door, please."

Satsujinhan'nin laughed, embarrassed. "Son, you're annoying me!"

"You know it's my job, and I enjoy taking that job seriously." His voice and face turned serious. "Tsuki told me what you found out."

They sat up, and watched him. Kelsi was the first to speak. "Where is she?"

"With her father."

"Tell me what's on your face, my baby boy."

He bowed his head, and whispered hoarsely, "I don't want to be immortal. Never have. Primus, Mother . . . One lifetime of the horrors Tsuki, myself, and all the others have lived through is enough for me to wish for my death at a reasonable age."

"Define 'reasonable,' Taiyoo," Satsujinhan'nin asked in a level tone.

"You know, for a Cybertronian; close to the middle of two hundred. Possibly three, if I was lucky."

Kelsi blinked to Satsujinhan'nin. "You never told me that was the average age!"

"Uh . . . I didn't?"

"Great, Mom, he's confused."

"Son, you're gonna find yourself grounded."

"Mmph. Sure, Father."

Kelsi held her hands up. "Back to the _original_ subject."

Satsujinhan'nin chuckled, and rubbed at his chin. "If I am remembering correctly, then it was about whether or not you were going to hold your tongue when it wasn't time to loose it."

"That's ancient history, Sats."

"You said the original subject, Mother. You _know_ that's getting into trouble with him!"

"Taiyoo!"

"Apologies!"

"You'd _better_ be apologizing!"

Taiyoo chuckled, but sobered, and said, "Tsuki feels the same way." His voice was pleading, broken . . . he sounded as if he were ten years old again, trying to be strong, but failing miserably, and knowing it.

Kelsi reached for him, and held him close to her, curled up, partially on her lap, and sobbing. Satsujinhan'nin kneeled in front of his son, and rested his hand upon his shoulder, squeezing it once. "Taiyoo, son, listen to me. Those were theories. Only one of the scientists thought about that. They didn't know for sure. If Suu stops aging after her first child, then we know that it's true. But, if she is like all other Cybertronians, and ceases aging _though_ the duration of her pregnancy, then picks up once the child is born, we will know that it is false."

The son managed to take in a shaky sigh. Satsujinhan'nin moved his hand to the back of Taiyoo's neck. "Look at me, boy. You know that no matter what happens, you have me and your mother. If we die, then you have the Oracle to speak to us through."

Taiyoo nodded.

Kelsi kissed his forehead, after sitting him up, and embraced him close. Taiyoo rested his head upon her shoulder, closing his eyes and sighing, much like he had done when he was a young child. There was a knock upon the door, and Satsujinhan'nin rose to open it slightly, shielding his wife and son from sight. Tsuki and her father were there. Satsujinhan'nin opened the door for them, and soon, all of them were close together, and asleep, feeling like it was back before Taiyoo had even heard the name Megatron, and when the two children were inconsolable.

The family was once more united, and would once more stick together, to find the answers.


	14. Chapter Twelve

Taiyoo Soshite Tsuki  
(Sun and Moon)  
By: Sinead

Chapter Twelve: Reunion  
Old Cybertronian Year: 5877  
New Cybertronian Year: 1

Tsuki sat straight up one night, some few months after she and Taiyoo had found out about their intended purpose. She left her husband quietly, soothing him back to a deep sleep through their connection, and left their room. Soon, she found herself in front of the Oracle. It was ablaze. She walked forward, unafraid, and touched the flames.

The Oracle activated, asking her what it was she wanted to know.

"You knew about myself and my friends, what we were, before the Reformatting."

It affirmed her statement.

"Can you tell me how long Taiyoo and I will live?"

_Until the Matrix claims you._

"So we _will_ die."

_Yes._

"When?"

_When you are ready._

"Will we have children?"

_Yes._

Tsuki smiled, and then asked softly, "Will they be like us?"

_They will have some of your traits, combined with Taiyoo's, as is normal._

"When . . . when will we have children?"

Taiyoo was roughly shaken awake. He blinked sleepily at Tsuki, whose black eyes were wide, and her white hair unkempt. He groaned once, and then sighed. "Suu? What is it?"

"Taiyoo, feel."

"What? Feel what? Suu, what time is it?"

She took his hand, and placed it upon her abdomen, and held it there gently. He blinked, and then . . . felt . . .

He swore fluently, and hissed quietly to himself in chagrin. "I'm sorry. I wasn't careful, and–"

She cut him off, her fingers tracing across his lips. "I went to the Oracle, Taiyoo. We _will_ die. Dunno when, but the Oracle affirmed that we will die."

"But . . . that means . . ."

"I think we're normal Cybertronians, love."

Taiyoo looked at her, then said, "You know that there's only one way to find out."

Taiyoo ran out, and slammed the door after him, looking at his grinning wife, as objects were thrown at the opposite side of the door. He was panting, and his face was starting to flush with color. "Suu, I'll have to say that you were wrong about my mother."

The female doubled over laughing, as Satsujinhan'nin opened the door fiercely, and ran after his son, bellowing bloody murder. Rattrap leaned out of his door, and was about to yell at Taiyoo to keep it down, when he ran by, his father hot upon his heels. Using the open doorway as a springboard, he ricocheted off of it, over his father's head, and back the way that he came. Panting, he looked over his shoulder, and then tripped into an unused room, rolled, and engaged in combat with his father as soon as the elder ran in.

While this was all happening, Tsuki had walked in to speak with Kelsi. "Kelsi? You decent?"

"Yes."

"Satsujin wasn't, by the way things are progressing."

"Well, I'm decent _now_, but . . . I thought that I told Taiyoo always to knock."

"Ah, yes, you did. He was ignoring you." Tsuki sat upon the bed next to her mother-in-law, and smiled shyly. "You're not really going to believe this when I tell you, Kelsi, but, uh . . ."

The still dark- and curly-haired Cybertronian blinked, leaning closer. "Suu? Are you okay?"

Tsuki bit her lip gently, then whispered, "I'm going to have a child."

Kelsi was silent for a moment, then whooped, and pulled the girl up to spin her around in a circle. She ran out into the hallway, still holding onto her daughter-in-law's hand, and yelled, "TSUKI AND TAIYOO ARE HAVIN' A KID!!!"

Taiyoo was thrown out of the room he and his father had been sparring in, as Satsujinhan'nin looked out at the two femmes in complete shock. All the other doors slammed open, as the families all looked out. Taiyoo sighed. "You didn't have to say it _that_ loud, Mother."

Tsuki was blushing, as Rattrap ambled up to her. He, however, was nearly bowled over by Rampage, who swept Tsuki up in an embrace, then said, "Call him Xanthos!"

Taiyoo snorted, and replied, "What, and have him as willful as you are?! I think not!"

Tsuki shook her head. "You know that we can't tell the gender of a kid until two or three months from now."

Shi called out, "Call it something Japanese!"

There was a roar of affirmatives, and Taiyoo wrapped his arm around his wife's waist, holding her close reassuringly. "Well, we'll see."

"Twins?! What the Pit do you mean, twins?!"

"I mean that your wife is having twins. That's common in humans, but in Cybertronians, well, I find it a bit odd. There haven't been twins ever recorded–"

A nurse poked her head into the room, her face shocked. "Three claims of twins! I just got the news, and . . . oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know you were with a patient."

Taiyoo looked to Tsuki, and the doctor sighed. "Make that four accounts of twins. Who are the others?"

"Predacons, all."

"Not what faction, but what age? Where? How long ago have these been confirmed?"

Tsuki pulled Taiyoo to sit beside her, and he did, taking her hand in his, as the nurse was replying. "Ranging in Terran years, from thirty to ninety, as you know is the usual child-bearing age in Cybertronians. They're scattered around the globe, but there's another case in this area. All have been confirmed in the past three days."

The doctor sighed. "What of the other pregnancies?"

"There haven't been any."

"What?"

"So far, there have only been four pregnancies recorded since the Reformatting, and they have all been twins."

_Do you think that it has to do with our new bodies, Tai?_

_No . . . Remember that most of the Sparks on Cybertron were extinguished, or went on to the Matrix. I think that our Sparks are recognizing the fact that there aren't as many Cybertronians as there should be, and are trying to make up for that deficiency._

"Missus?"

Tsuki looked up, and blinked. "Yes?"

"I should suggest that you have the birth overseen by a doctor, in a clinic, with no other bot near."

She stood, and glared into the Maximal's eyes. "No."

"But–"

"My husband will be overseeing the birth of his children. My father and Taiyoo's parents will as well. Predacons do things different than Maximals in that respect, and I will see to it that it stays that way. I do _not_ want to hear any different from you."

"We do not know what the effect of having twins will be upon you!"

"Then experiment on someone else. Taiyoo."

The Predacon stood, and nodded. "Coming."

"He said _what_?!" Kelsi screeched, anger flaring at the suggestion of the Maximal doctor.

Wrangler was snarling quietly, as Rattrap watched. He blinked. "Dat's da way Maximals do it. I guess dat Predacons do it differently."

"Without saying," Satsujinhan'nin replied, resting his hands upon Kelsi's shoulders, trying to calm her down. "Family and friends are around. The father helps birth the child. Or child_ren_ as the case now seems to be."

Rattrap smiled half-heartedly. "Sounds more Maximal den da way _we_ do it. Slag. I'd hate ta be locked out o' da room dat my kid was bein' born in! But den . . . my own dad was locked out, so I thought dat it was normal."

Tsuki reached over to embrace Kelsi. "You'll be there, when my twins are born. I promise you. You, and Satsujin and Dad."

Kelsi nodded, and sighed. She shrugged out of her husband's hands, and then held Tsuki at arm's-length, looking at her stomach, which was starting to gently round out. Wrangler blinked, thinking about something, then laughed. Taiyoo looked at him, and asked him in Predaconian, "What?"

He replied in the same language. "Tsuki, daughter, do you remember what I had said before you went after that chuckle-head of a life-partner of yours?"

"Uh . . . no?"

"You really are turning into a Full Moon!"

"Oh, ha-ha. Watch me laugh uncontrollably," she spat out in Predaconian. Tsuki looked to Taiyoo for back-up, but he was laughing too hard to help her out. She sighed, threw up her hands, and then looked at the opening door, where a human was standing, watching silently. Wrangler followed his daughter's glance, and stopped laughing immediately, as did Kelsi and Satsujinhan'nin.

Taiyoo turned, to look, and frowned in confusion. This human was familiar, he saw, almost too familiar. There was something about her that pulled at his Spark, but not in a way he completely recognized, even though . . . it was familiar to how he felt towards his own mother, in a way.

Wrangler transformed, and walked to within ten feet of the woman. "What do you want here."

Her voice was quiet. "I came to apologize."

Taiyoo looked over to Tsuki, who was confused. He took her hand, and she squeezed it once, then released it and walked over to her father. Once she was standing in front of the human, she asked in English, "Dad, who is this?"

Wrangler tore his gaze slowly away from the human, as Kelsi walked up behind Tsuki. The male Predacon said, "Tsuki, I would like you to meet Willow. Your mother."

Taiyoo and Tsuki were in a small room, conferring with Ai and Kirau. "What if the other mothers show up?"

"Some of them kept in touch with the fathers," Ai said. "My mother, for instance. I've met her a few times. Kali, that's her name, is sad that she's missed out on us growing up. She wanted to come back and help raise me, but they didn't let her."

Taiyoo nodded. "So that's where you went with Wraith. He used to take you to meet with your mother every so often."

Ai sighed. "And Shinri met with her mother as well, around the times that she was reaching puberty and all. She told me she was meeting with her mother, and that she was learning about, you know, girl stuff like that. I did the same."

Tsuki was frowning. "Why didn't anyone tell me that we could sneak out and talk with our mothers like this?"

Ai embraced her best friend, and sighed. "Because, Tsuki, you had too many things on your mind. You are our leader, and you protected us from different things. But we also had to protect you as well. You had Kelsi to talk to. But another thing that you didn't know, was that your father and your mother left on bad terms. She was angry and unyielding about your creation, while our mothers tried to tell their partners that they couldn't handle the stress of a child. They had other things going on in their lives. Then again, they didn't have your father to explain to. Wrangler is a wonderful father now, but from what my mother told me, he was a bit thick-headed when he was younger. He couldn't quite understand why anyone would leave a child to be reared by a single parent. That isn't how it's done by Predacons. That isn't how _we're_ going to do it."

Tsuki nodded against her friend's shoulder. Ai closed her eyes, and sighed. "You didn't say anything to her, did you."

"I couldn't."

"You were afraid?"

"Y-yes."

"Don't be."

"But I don't know what to say."

"Anything you like. It can all be figured out later. That's what my father said to me, when I met my own mother."

Tsuki nodded, and Ai released her towards the door, then followed her out. Taiyoo looked to Kirau, and asked, "How did she do that?"

"Dunno. Wish I knew how to do that, though."

"Hunh. Me too."

Kelsi hadn't said anything since Willow had arrived; neither had the other mothers who had stayed. They stood together, and were silent. Tsuki and Taiyoo had disappeared into a room to talk quietly together. When the other once-half-humans arrived, Ai and Kirau had went in as well, not even looking at the wayward mother.

Now, Tsuki and Ai came out, soon followed by Taiyoo and Kirau. Tsuki walked past her father, and right up to her mother, coming face-to-face with her. "Why, by the Matrix, Heaven, the Pit and Hell, did you leave me."

"You don't understand! I was young . . ."

"As am I. Bet you didn't know that I'm with twins. Do you think I'm going to give these two up, simply because Taiyoo and I hadn't planned upon having children yet? That's murder. Do you think that I'm going to abandon them?"

"I wasn't carrying you, though!"

"Does it even matter?!" Tsuki hissed, face disbelieving. "You helped create me. You helped to give me life. I was half of you, genetically, until the Reformatting. You and Wrangler together should have raised me, like it was supposed to be. One parent isn't supposed to raise a child alone!"

"I wasn't ready, baby. I wasn't ready."

"Oh, and you think that I could have waited to be ready, hm?"

Wrangler sighed, and Tsuki looked at him. His golden eyes told her enough. She sighed in return, and said, "Those two that you had . . . Katrina and Tamm . . . are they your only two?"

"No. I have one more, younger. Her name is Anwara."

"How old is she?"

"Eleven, now."

"So she was nine, when the twins came to apologize upon your behalf."

"Yes."

Tsuki sighed again, and asked, "What about their father."

"He's . . . a good man."

"Nnmph. Where is he?"

"Waiting out in the park with the children."

Tsuki looked at Taiyoo once, and he nodded, then whispered something to his mother, who nodded once to her. Tsuki looked back at her own mother, Willow, and said, "I want to meet him."

As soon as Willow walked out, her husband ran over to embrace her. He caught sight of the Cybertronian standing stiffly behind her, and started to put himself between Tsuki and Willow, when Katrina and Tamm ran over, and embraced her, laughing. Tsuki, despite herself, broke out in a grin, and said, "Easy, there, you two! I'm getting older!"

"But we missed you!" Katrina replied.

Tsuki smiled, and bent closer to the two, embracing them warmly. They backed up, and Katrina held Tsuki's hand, bringing her towards their father, and their younger sister. "Tsuki, this is your other half-sister, Anwara. Annie, this is Tsuki, our big sister."

The younger girl took an instant liking to Tsuki, and embraced her. Tsuki smiled, and stood, to face their father. "You are Willow's husband then."

"What did they mean, by you being their big sister," he said, unable to give it the lilt of a question at the end, due to his shock.

Tsuki sighed again, and looked to Willow. "And did you tell him about me?"

Willow nodded, and said, "I didn't know your name. I couldn't find out, and the other two who stayed in contact with the fathers didn't tell me."

"Kali and Aislinn. They did the right thing, after doing the wrong thing."

"But what about the Predacons?! Didn't they do the wrong thing, too?!"

Tsuki nodded. "More wrong than you know, Willow."

The woman sagged. "Can't you call me 'mom,' or something? Please, don't call me by my name."

Tsuki sighed, and freed one hand, to touch her mother's cheek gently. "I wish that I could, but I can't. You haven't been there for me, and you now know that you've missed out on a lot more than you could try to make up for."

"But . . . can't I try?"

Tsuki gently unwound the small arms surrounding her waist, and then bent closer to her mother's face. Black eyes searched soft brown ones. She put her hands upon her mother's shoulders, but moved one to wipe a falling tear away. Quietly, she embraced the sobbing woman, and said, "You can try. Of course you can try."

Wrangler walked out, but stopped, seeing the man there with the three children, while Tsuki was comforting her mother, sitting upon a bench, and listening to her. The Predacon walked closer, but stopped next to the man. "I have to speak with my daughter for a moment."

"I'm not stopping you."

Wrangler looked at the man, but was tackled from behind, by Taiyoo. "You slagging said that you'd wait for me, you liar!"

Tsuki looked up, as did her mother, then laughed, and brought her over, to help stop the scuffle. "Dad! Will you . . . Dad, please don't look at me like that . . . just let Taiyoo out of the headlock, will you? Please?"

"He called me a liar."

"Tai . . ."

"Did," came the strangled reply.

"And?"

"Sorry!"

Wrangler let the younger bot up, then nodded once at Willow. Tsuki reached up to wrap her arms around Wrangler's neck, and he hugged her back warmly, then said, "Taiyoo's mother wishes to speak with you."

"No name?"

"Not yet."

Tsuki nodded, and said, "I'll be back in a moment." She stopped, and then touched Taiyoo's shoulder. "Tai? You okay?"

"Never knew where your hair came from, until now," he replied softly. "Or your human structure. Hmph. Primus knows you didn't get that lithe form from you father."

Wrangler made to threaten to hit the younger Predacon, but Willow touched his hand, and he looked at her, then sighed. "Not only do I have Kelsi upon my case, but now I have you again, Willow."

"Kelsi's here?!" Willow asked quietly.

Wrangler winced, but was spared further embarrassment, when Kelsi stormed out, and yelled, "Will you get _in_ here?!"

Tsuki walked a step forward, and said, "Kelsi, what is it?"

She spluttered, then sighed, and said, "The office called. They found something."

"What's wrong, Kelsi."

"They don't think that you can carry the two much longer."

Willow looked at her daughter, then at the Velociraptor with Kelsi's voice. Kelsi walked closer. "I don't believe them, but I don't want any future grandchild of mine endangered."

"Why can't I carry them?" Tsuki asked quietly.

"Something about Spark development, or . . .Wrangler, get over here. You'd understand this. I know how to birth a human, but anything Cybertronian is beyond me. Second month in development of a fetus. They said that something would stall, and they want the twins born the way Tsuki, Taiyoo and the others were born," Kelsi said.

"And it's in concern to the Spark?"

"Yes."

"Slagging Maximals . . . Look. Tell Satsujin to look up a doctor, Predacon, by the name of Azure. She's an old friend of ours."

"What about her."

"She's also a midwife, and had helped with the fluids our children were in as they developed. She'll know what to do."

Kelsi nodded slowly, then sped off, not even looking once at Willow. Of course, she knew the human was there, but there wasn't time to acknowledge her. She told Satsujinhan'nin the message, and he immediately called around, tracking her down. Meanwhile, Kelsi walked back down, and transformed, to sit upon Tsuki's right side. Willow was upon the younger Predacon's left, and Taiyoo was rubbing gently at her shoulders. She was seething, and wouldn't speak for a moment. "That Maximal is getting on my nerves, Kels."

"Oh, believe me, I know. I've found Maximals to be more dishonest at times than Predacons."

"If he's lying . . ."

"Then we'll talk to the Elders about it. We'll get one of the Maximals to do that for us."

Tsuki sighed, then rubbed at her forehead. "I'm not giving these two up."

"No, I shouldn't expect you to."

Willow spoke softly. "Whatever you need, I can help you get, Tsuki. I'll try my best."

Kelsi leaned forward, and looked at the human. "You gave her good looks. Should she ask for anything more?"

"_Kel_si!" Tsuki sputtered, looking at her, but the older femme was grinning.

Willow smiled back hesitantly, then replied, "Well, other than that. Gosh knows that your son got good looks as well, from you."

"I have baby pictures of them both, in case you'd like to see them."

"Kelsi, anything. Thank you."

Willow sighed, and was about to speak when Satsujinhan'nin walked up to them. He blinked once, then said, "Azure will be here in a few minutes. She hacked into the system, and found the report the doctor was referring to. She might want to speak with Tsuki alone."

"I'm _not_ leaving her alone with anyone," Taiyoo replied.

Satsujinhan'nin sighed, and said, "Son, let the womenfolk deal with this alone. I know and respect your love for Suu, but you have to understand that sometimes . . . sometimes you might not want to know a few details about their lives."

Taiyoo gave his father a "dare me" look, and the Predacon sighed. "Have it your way. Think about what human femmes have to go though twelve times yearly. That, and everything related to it."

Instantly, the son stopped and said, "Tsuki, I hope you'll be comfortable with the lady."

"Yes, I know, and I will be. I knew that the moment your father said 'alone.'" Tsuki replied.

"Right. Good to know."

Willow smiled, and Tsuki sighed, leaning back into the shoulder-rub. After a moment, she looked to her mother, and said, "I have a question, and sorry if it's a bit blunt, but I'm not used to human etiquette. I was raised with Cybertronian manners, as if you didn't know."

"Please. Ask me anything."

"Your three children . . . were they born naturally?"

"Yes, for the twins. But Anwara was cesarean section."

"Oh, slaggin' lovely. Why?"

"Something . . . went wrong. She was premature, and it was from external interference."

Tsuki nodded, and Taiyoo sighed and sat behind her, letting his arms wrap around her abdomen lightly. They stayed in silence until a dark shape walked up towards them, then transformed to show a small, spry Predacon there, large eyes bright blue in a golden face. "Came as soon as I could, Wrangler. Tsuki is here?"

The young Predacon stood, and the elder one nodded. "There is no immediate danger to the twins, missus. I can assure you that. That Maximal has his facts crossed. Not to mention more than a few wires."

"What do you mean by immediate danger? Is something going to happen in the future months?" Tsuki asked, voice quavering.

Azure smiled, and replied, "Tsuki, anything is possible. Your pregnancy might go exactly as planned, or something might happen, and there would be a chance that you would miscarry. Nothing is concrete in these first months. However, you should have regular checkups in order to keep the twins safe and to make sure that they are in good health."

"I _don't_ want her to go back to that Maximal," Wrangler hissed, standing, towering over Azure, who merely blinked up at him.

"Wrangler, pal, quit your worrying. You _know_ that I wouldn't let her go back to that idiot, anyway."

Tsuki sighed, and sat again. "So where should I go?"

"You can come to me, if you feel comfortable. I also know a few other Predaconian midwives who are keeping a low profile so that the Maximals won't go to them for instruction. We want to be ready in case someone needs immediate help, as you did. We don't like being interrupted and say as much."

Tsuki nodded, and Kelsi said quietly, "I was once human . . . and I wanted to know something."

Azure smiled, nodded, and said, "Knowledge is to be shared."

"I was trained as a human midwife. Will any of that training be useful in re-learning to be a Cybertronian one?"

The other Predacon femme nodded, and said, "For these reformatted modes there's more than a few similarities, and I'll welcome any organic knowledge that is brought my way." The panther smiled kindly. "I'll start your retraining personally. Are you Tsuki's mother?"

"No. The human on her other side is."

Azure looked at Willow, then back at Tsuki calmly, gently. "You were one of _them_."

Tsuki sighed. "The prize product, to be specific. Taiyoo and I both were."

The Cybertronian midwife nodded, then said, "I'm sure that the birth will go normally. But be cautious, nonetheless."

Tsuki nodded, and Kirau ran out of the large house, leapt over the bench to hide behind it. He hissed to the others that he wasn't there. Wraith and Brasswill ran out, looking equally harassed. Tsuki started to get up, winced, and sat back. Taiyoo looked at her, and she shook her head. "Where's Ai?"

"She's inside," Brasswill said.

Wraith was panting. "My daughter's in some mood, and I think that Kirau caused it."

"He's hiding behind us," Kelsi replied. "Tsuki?"

"Primus, my knees aren't behaving. Hold on a nanoclick, and I'll get up." Taiyoo gently pushed her up while she groaned. "Azure?"

"Stiffening joints. That's normal. I'll give you a timeline tomorrow."

"Thanks."

With a sigh, she walked into the house, and saw the Maximals who resided with them running towards her, dead intent upon getting out. Within a moment, Ai was seen running after them, but she skidded to a halt, when she saw her leader. "Where is he?!"

"Who, Ai. What are you up to? I'd expect Uso or Tatakai to terrorize the residents, but you? Nah. I didn't think that you had it in you."

"Where's. Kirau."

"Why?"

She spluttered, and then looked down . . . at her feet? No . . . at . . .

Tsuki rested her hand upon Ai's elbow, and the slightly-older Predacon moved it to her abdomen. "Do you feel that, then? There's one in there."

Tsuki smiled, and embraced her best friend, and said, "Why are you angry?"

"Because I didn't think I wanted a family yet. We're still so young."

Tsuki smiled up at her, and said, "But you're ready."

"I don't want to go to the Maximal _you_ went to."

"You don't have to. A Predacon midwife, like Taiyoo's mom was . . . still _is_, actually, will be helping me along with my twins. She can help you with your child, too."

Ai sighed, and Kirau came up behind her, and rested his chin upon her shoulder lightly. Taiyoo's hand found Tsuki's, and she smiled at him.

Things would work out.


	15. Chapter Thirteen

Taiyoo Soshite Tsuki  
(Sun and Moon)  
By: Sinead

Chapter Thirteen: Warning  
Old Cybertronian Year: 5878  
New Cybertronian Year: 2

"TAIYOO!!!"

"Oh, slaggit. There she goes again. BOY! GET IN HERE!" Wrangler bellowed.

Taiyoo ran in, and leaned over his wife, kissing her forehead. "Shh, now."

"PAIN!!!"

"I know. Quiet now."

Tsuki growled, and she whimpered with the sharp aching. Azure had insisted that they not share the pain through this. Taiyoo had actually listened. The midwife peeked into the room, and checked up on how both Tsuki and Kelsi were doing. Kelsi was insistent upon helping birth her grandchildren. Azure smiled, and rested her palm upon Tsuki's taught abdomen. "You're doing well, Tsuki. It won't be long now."

"I'll say!" Kelsi piped up. "She's crowning!"

"What?!" Taiyoo yelped. He peeked over his mother's shoulder.

She moved out of the way, and said quietly, "It's up to you, now, Tai."

Tsuki's eyes were shut tightly, as she saw colors fly behind her eyelids. The pain was like nothing she had ever experienced before, even when she had taken on the Spark-attacking virus that Xanthos Rampage once had. Half-screaming, she gripped the side of the bed, and squeezed it.

Something felt as if it broke.

The pain left as quickly as it had come.

Taiyoo looked at the small thing resting in his arms silently, then moved the newborn to his shoulder, and gently slapped its back, causing it to set about wailing. He walked up to Tsuki's side, and saw her open her eyes. He set the infant in her arms, and she kissed its forehead tenderly, causing the wailing to stop after a few more reassuring movements and noises. "She's perfect."

"'She'?" Azure asked, smiling.

Tsuki nodded, and rested her head back wearily, still watching the movements of her daughter. "When do you want to name the two, Tai?"

"Once everything calms, Suu. Here. Let me see her. You get some sleep, and rest a bit." He rested his hand upon her shoulder, and she kissed the infant's head once more. Once the girl-child was secure in her father's arms, Tsuki fell asleep. He sat, and started cleaning the small one up, and smiling at her. Kelsi rested her hand upon his shoulder, and then smiled. "She's beautiful."

Satsujinhan'nin blinked at the small, white-haired child. "Looks like her father with her mother's hair. I most certainly hope that she grows out of what she inherited from Taiyoo."

Taiyoo smiled. "Don't you worry about my bad looks being revealed in her. She'll have her mother's personality. I know that much already. Look at her."

"We don't need any encouragement," Kelsi said, reaching down to tickle the child's palm with a fingertip. The infant grasped the finger, and opened her eyes, revealing them to be bright blue. Kelsi smiled, and wriggled her finger out of the grasp of the infant. "Sats, keep an eye on Suu. Wrangler, come over here and look at your granddaughter."

The two older Predacons switched places, and Wrangler sighed happily, kneeling and looking at the small being. A knock sounded upon the door, and Azure walked up to get it. She smiled at the human, and said, "Come in. You missed the first child's birth by a few minutes."

Willow walked over to Taiyoo, and then saw the child in his arms. She smiled, and looked over to Tsuki, who was awake again, and smiling. Willow walked over to her daughter, and kissed her forehead. "She's beautiful, like you."

Tsuki smiled, and realized why it hurt her mother so much, whenever she was called by her given name by her daughter. She closed her eyes, feeling her breath hiss inward through her teeth. "Tai, let Mom hold our daughter. This one other one wants out _now_."

Willow looked at her daughter, but was distracted when Taiyoo touched her shoulder, and turned her gently to take the child. "Careful."

She glared at him playfully, and kissed her granddaughter's forehead. "I have three children. I know how to be careful with infants, Taiyoo."

Satsujinhan'nin laughed. "Yes, but you should know that there's always a difference between holding your _own_ child, and letting someone hold a newborn within the hour of its birth!"

Willow smiled, and Tsuki started back into labor with the other twin. Before long, a son was born to the new parents. He was as dark-haired as his sister was light, and his eyes were those of his mother's. Taiyoo kissed his son's crown, before placing the wailing infant in his wife's arms. Her head nodded once, and Taiyoo helped her hold the child. "Tsuki, you have to feed them."

"Oh, Primus . . . I know, I know . . . but . . ." she yawned, and leaned her head forward to kiss her son's brow drowsily. "There's an afterbirth, isn't there?"

"Dunno," Azure said. "The other midwives haven't said anything. The other three mothers apparently haven't given birth yet. I know with organics that there is an afterbirth, but . . . Tsuki, slaggit, stay awake and feed your daughter."

Taiyoo held his son, while his father laughed, and left the room with his mother.

A wail set up from across the room, and Tsuki lurched upwards to get to her son, but encountered Taiyoo's arm holding her down. "My turn."

Tsuki kissed his wrist, and he clambered over her, growling fondly to his child, "You're two slagging days old, and you've been stealing my wife's attention away from me, you know that? Can't I have time, too? Hmm? Aah, quiet, now."

The mother smiled, watching her husband's hand reach down to gently brush against the child's crown, lulling him back to sleep. Sighing, he leaned over to kiss both his son's and daughter's foreheads, before turning back to bed, and laying down beside his wife. "You're thinking of names again."

"Yeah."

"I'll ask my mother what the words for Daybreak and Nightfall are."

Tsuki laughed, and rolled him onto his back, before settling against his chest, listening to his Spark pulse beneath her ear. Resting her hand upon his shoulder, she asked, "Would you?"

"They should be good names. They'll match our children well."

"Yoake and Tasogare," Kelsi said, reaching over to take her grandson in her arms. "You chose well."

Tsuki smiled, and Satsujinhan'nin took his granddaughter from his son's arms, and smiling down at her. Uso ambled up to the four, and transformed, sighing. "News."

"What is it?" Taiyoo asked, instantly concerned for his friend.

"I'm gonna be a father of . . . hey!"

Taiyoo tackled the slightly-older bot, and the two tumbled upon the grass, until Uso squeezed out of it, and sat upon the other Predacon's back. "I wasn't done! Shinri's having slagging _triplets_!"

Tsuki just stared at him. "What."

"Three kids! At _once_! Not to mention that it's going to be insane enough, what with you with your twins, and Ai and Kirau with their not-yet-born daughter, but slagging _triplets_?! What the Pit is going on?!"

Tsuki had let Taiyoo know that she was going to confer with the Matrix about this. He knew that she could talk to the device, and actually decipher the answers well, without much of a pause. She smiled up at the Oracle, then asked, "Why are multiple births common _now_, when they were virtually nonexistent before the Reformatting?"

_There is need._

"Need? What need is there?"

_For more to be born._

"Why?"

_Sparks were extinguished mercilessly, without a chance to enter the Matrix, or be sent to the Pit. There is need._

"You mean to replace those who were lost forever?"

_Yes._

"But . . . will it be any more than three children at once?"

_There is a possibility of that, but the birthrate will slow, once there is no more need._

"Can I ask you something different?"

_As always._

"Will . . . will my children have to fight an enemy, like Taiyoo and I, and all the others had to? Will they have to go to war in their lifetimes?"

_No. There will be no war in their lifetimes, nor in the lifetimes of their children, nor their children's children, nor even their children's children's children. But I cannot guarantee that those afterwards will be safe. But your twins will be safe from war._

Tsuki sighed, then said, "Thank you. Is there anything that you would like me to pass on to anyone?"

_There is one called Xanthos in your midst._

"Yes."

_He has to repent. He has taken lives, and he knows that he is in the wrong. But he has yet to pay for his sins, pay for the lives he's taken._

"How?"

_He has but three years to bring at least one life, one child, to raise in memory of those who were the children of others, and whose lives he took in anger and in frustration._

"What if those three years end before he can find someone who will accept him?"

_Then he will be banished to the Pit._

"No! He's my brother! I can't let that happen!"

_Then he will have to raise a child upon his own. One who would be given willingly to him to safeguard._

The Oracle faded. Tsuki fell to her knees, and buried her head in her hands. What was she going to _do_?

Taiyoo listened to what his wife was telling him, then sighed. "Shinri wouldn't _dare_ give up one of her children, even to him. _Especially_ to him. Have you told him?"

"Yes, and I told him that I was also going to help him somehow."

"There are no orphanages. All orphans were pulled into families after the Reformatting," Taiyoo said, standing, and pacing. "And those who have given birth wouldn't give up these children easily."

Tsuki stared into space. "Taiyoo . . ."

_Tsuki . . . are you thinking of letting him raise one of our children?_

_Taiyoo, there isn't anyone else who would trust him._

_Suu . . ._

She pulled him into a shaking embrace. "I don't want him to die."

"But Suu . . . there has to be another way."

The wife sighed, and buried her face in his shoulder, hearing her children's breathing. They were asleep. "I wish I knew there was."

"Talk to your mother. Did the Oracle say that it had to be a _Cybertronian_ life? Earth has plenty of orphans, unfortunately. Can he not just adopt an infant from there?"

"The Oracle indicated that he be the _father_ to one . . ."

"Did it say biologically?"

"But . . ."

"Did it say biologically?" Taiyoo repeated, forcing his wife to look into his eyes.

She shook her head.

"Did it say that it had to be Cybertronian?"

"No . . ."

"How long do we have?"

"Three years."

"Then we will sleep upon it for tonight," Taiyoo said softly. "Doubtless, the Oracle gave us three years for a reason. This is something that cannot be fixed in one day."

Tsuki broke into sobs, able to release her tension of the day. Taiyoo smiled, glad that he was able to break through, and cradled her close to him. "Suu, our beauty, keep crying. You need it. Everything will be all right, I swear to you."

She nodded against his shoulder, then heard a mumbled wail from across the room. Smiling, she stood to pick her daughter up, tears still falling, although gently, now healing tears, not one of grief. "Hungry, are you? Hush, then, Yoake. Hush . . ."

Taiyoo smiled softly at his wife, as she nursed their daughter. Softly, so as not to startle her, he sat behind her, and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders, then kissed her cheek. "I'll talk to our mothers about it tomorrow. Your turn with the babies."

"Thank you."

He chuckled, and picked up his son, after hearing a thin wail set up from the cradle he slept in. "Tasogare, you rogue . . . what are you up to, hmm?"

Still slightly cross-eyed, Tasogare yawned, and curled up against his father's chest, and sighed. Taiyoo chuckled, and sat beside his wife, feeling complete.


	16. Chapter Fourteen

Taiyoo Soshite Tsuki  
(Sun and Moon)  
By: Sinead

Chapter Fourteen: Hope  
Old Cybertronian Year: 5879  
New Cybertronian Year: 3

Xanthos Rampage paced, wings ruffling slightly. He was waiting outside the hospital, unable to enter, since Cybertronians were still wary of him. Taiyoo turned away from the window, glad that he had kept the information of why he and his wife had come to find secret from the gargoyle. He looked at the Predaconian doctor. "What of this femme?"

"She's dying, but we were able to save the child. She's premature, and will be weak, but she'll survive . . . we hope."

Yoake and Tasogare were with their grandparents, out with Xanthos, waiting for the parents to come out. Tsuki also stopped watching her "brother" pacing, and looked at the doctor. "Is the mother still alive?"

"Yes."

"Can I speak with her?"

The doctor nodded, and led her into the room. After barely surviving a vehicle accident, the mother had just about ordered the medical aids to save the child, even if it meant that she would die. Tsuki grasped the dying Predacon's hand, and the pale femme looked at her. "My baby . . ."

"She's alive, Dawning. She's beautiful."

"I . . . I haven't seen her."

Taiyoo walked over, carrying the child, after threatening to rip one of the medical aide's head off. Dawning reached up, and Taiyoo set the child within her arms. "She is the first orphan."

"Her father . . ."

"He was killed immediately," Tsuki whispered. "It was a merciful death. He managed to turn the vehicle so that you wouldn't be as hurt."

Dawning's eyes watered. "But . . . I don't want her to be an orphan . . ."

Taiyoo's breath caught in his throat, as he looked to Tsuki. She caught the look in his eye, smiled, and whispered to Dawning, "Do you know Xanthos?"

"Your brother . . . I know he has been looking for a child to raise, to repent . . ." she smiled, and whispered, "And it makes _us_ sisters . . . his mother is my mother . . . different fathers . . ."

Tsuki sagged. "Then he is this little one's uncle . . ."

"She . . . Dawnblade . . . Dawnblade is my daughter . . . she will be his adopted daughter. I want him in here. I want to see my brother."

Taiyoo ran out of the room. His threats were easily believed, and he was known to carry them out without seeming to care about what the consequences would be. He would be able to bring Xanthos in here without a problem. Dawning looked to her daughter, and smiled. "Tsuki . . . thank you."

"For what?"

"I can hold my daughter . . . and see my brother's face when he is named as her adopted father."

"You have to save your strength, Dawning . . ." Tsuki whispered.

"There is not . . . there is little time left for me," she replied, smiling down at the sleeping infant within her weakened hold.

Taiyoo ran back in, with Xanthos hot upon his heels, to rest his hands upon the side of his sister's bed, and to look down upon her. "Dawning . . . you look like our mother . . ."

"I'm glad that you . . . think so, brother . . ."

He rested the back of his hand against her cheek, whispering in a scared voice that seemed to cut through everyone in the room, "Your Spark is fading . . ."

She nodded, and said, "Take my daughter . . . Dawnblade . . . she's your niece . . . and . . . soon to be _your_ daughter. Adopt her."

Xanthos had already transformed while outside, and he reached over to pick up the small, bundled child. He looked down at her, at her angelic, almost-_too_-perfect face, and then closed his eyes, and whispered, "Her Spark is dimmed as well . . ."

"Strengthen it, brother. I know . . . I know you can."

Rampage, Xanthos, the once-mass-murderer revealed his own Spark, and whispered, "Will you accept me as a father, little one? Will you allow me to help you live?"

The last thing that Dawning saw while alive, was her daughter's Spark accepting her brother as a father, and brightening, becoming healthy, with a painful donation from one who had once wanted to satisfy the hungers of a burning rage within his own soul by taking the lives of others. Who would have thought that a mere newborn would cause him to give away a piece of himself that he would once have killed to regain?

Certainly not Cybertron.

Taiyoo picked Yoake up in one arm, then Tasogare up in the other, letting them cling to him. He looked at his parents, then Tsuki's parents. Willow's husband, Trent, was walking over with Tsuki's three human siblings. They waved at Tasogare and Yoake, who giggled, and struggled to go to their young aunts and uncle. Katrina and Tamm smiled up at Taiyoo, who lowered the one-year-olds into their arms gently, smiling in return. Tsuki walked out, smiled almost-warmly at her step-father, and then was immediately embraced by Anwara, who said, "You gotta have another kid, sis, so I'm not left out!"

Tsuki laughed, picked her sister up, draped her over a shoulder, then said, "Are you feeling left out, now?"

"Well, it wouldn't hurt for those two to have at least one more brother or sister . . ."

The older sibling chuckled, shaking her head, as she looked to her mother, setting Anwara back upon the ground. "Dawning's . . . she's gone, but her child was saved. And so's my brother."

Anwara blinked at Tsuki. "You have a brother."

"Well, an adopted one. We've known each other for the majority of our lives, so I guess that counts."

"What was he saved from?"

"Long story, but I'll let him tell you. Now, mind you, he might seem a bit harsh, but he really isn't."

"Who is he?"

"Xanthos."

Anwara blinked. "You adopted him as a brother."

Taiyoo ruffled the short hair of his young sister-in-law. "How old are you now? Fourteen?"

"Yeah."

"We were younger than you when we met him. But when you a little older, and more able to understand the politics of this planet, we'll let him tell you."

"Why not now?"

"Because he has a daughter to take care of now. He adopted her not three minutes ago. She's a newborn, so she will be taking up a lot of his attention."

Depth Charge walked up, and sighed. "Kid, stop looking so down that you can't be told something. It's for your own good, believe me. You don't want to know all of the horrors that these two have lived through. _Or_ Xanthos, either. Here. You want a ride?"

Anwara laughed, and Tsuki let her down, smiling her thanks to the dragon. Before Depth Charge could take off, however, Rampage came out with the child, not taking his eyes off of her for one moment. Kelsi smiled at Satsujinhan'nin, who remembered holding his own son like that, when Taiyoo was first born, then remembered a year ago, when his own son was holding his twin children, completely absorbed in just watching their breathing.

Willow looked at Wrangler silently, seeing him turn after a moment, to look back at her. She walked away from Trent, and up to the Predacon. Her voice was soft, so as not to let Trent hear what she was saying. "Please, Wrangler, forgive me for everything. I was young and stupid. I should have stayed with you and the others."

Wrangler's shoulders fell slightly, and he whispered, "But then our Tsuki wouldn't have three wonderful siblings, who love our grandchildren."

"But I was _wrong_, Wrangler–"

"I never said that you weren't. It _was_ wrong, that you left, and it was wrong that you had been taken in the first place." He sighed, and said, "Your husband–"

"We were divorced last year, but the final custody battles are still going on. He came with the children today. I'm moving back here to help Tsuki and Taiyoo."

Wrangler looked at her in shock. "You didn't tell me that, Willow."

"He didn't agree with the fact that I had left my unborn child back here. He's fighting for custody over Katrina, Tamm, and Anwara. They've made court appearances, saying that if they couldn't live with me, then they would somehow come _here_, to live with their elder sister." Willow sighed, and looked at the ground. "It hurts, Wrangler, and only now do I know how much it must have hurt you for me to leave."

The Predacon rested his hand upon Willow's shoulder. "Did you tell Tsuki?"

"She knew something was wrong right away, when we were talking alone together, two months before her twins were born."

"So you and he separated before Yoake and Tasogare were born?"

"Yes," she said softly, bowing her head.

Wrangler saw that Trent was watching them intensely, while everyone else was marveling over Rampage's niece, now his daughter. He looked back down at Willow, then ignored Trent, as he pulled her into an embrace, whispering, "Does she know that you're moving here?"

"No."

"She'll be pleased."

"I hope so."

"I _know_ so. I've known her since her birth, and I know that she'll love this news."

"Wrangler, I have to speak to you in private."

"Soon."

"_Now_, Wrangler. It's important."

"Willow, when a child is adopted, it's like they've just been born again, into a new family. We can't sneak off, and I have to congratulate Xanthos. He's like a son to me," Wrangler said, ducking his head down to look into soft brown eyes, framed by blonde hair that was already graying. He saw a sadness in her eyes that would break soon. "In five cycles . . . minutes, I promise you, we can talk alone. Tsuki will watch her siblings. I can tell that you don't want Trent near them. Come with me. Xanthos will appreciate your good-luck wishes."

Willow nodded, and they walked over to the leviathan, who smiled at the smaller human, and sat, so she could see the fair-haired beauty of an infant within his arms. "Do you think that she looks even vaguely familiar?"

Wrangler's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Primus' creation . . . she looks exactly like Tsuki did on the day when she was first born. She has that same feeling about her."

Willow peered closer, and Wrangler smiled reassuringly to Xanthos, who whispered, "Did you want to hold her?"

Tsuki blinked at her "brother," surprised that he had offered to her mother to hold the child, when _every_body else had been turned down with the same indifferent tone. She looked to her father, who shook his head slightly. "Suu, would you mind watching your sibs for a while? I have to show Willow a few of the sights today."

Anwara was holding onto Tasogare's hand, as he was trying to walk off. She looked up at Tsuki pleadingly, and the older Predacon sighed, then nodded. "Oh, very well. They can help keep my brats in line."

Yoake toddled into her mother's legs, holding on and giggling. Katrina tickled her niece, then picked her up, as Willow gently held Dawnblade in her arms. She sat and watched, as the infant opened her eyes slightly, revealing them to be a midnight blue. She was unable to hold it in anymore. All the grief, the guilt, the pain of being unable to see her daughter . . . everything came out, as she cried, holding the child close to her. Xanthos smiled at Wrangler, who sat next to the mother of his daughter, while Xanthos rested his hand upon her shoulder, empathically knowing that she needed to hear something reassuring.

"You've been a good mother, Willow. Look at your other three children. Look at how they react to Tsuki, to Yoake, to Tasogare . . . to Taiyoo, to Kelsi . . . to Satsujinhan'nin . . . to Wrangler, even. They _love_ those about them. They act like Cybertronian children, not like humans, which I don't think is odd at all, considering who your first daughter is."

Willow kissed Dawnblade's forehead, and then looked up at Xanthos, who smiled as gently as he could. "Willow, what is that you want to say?"

"I . . . I have to say it to Wrangler alone."

Xanthos nodded. "I figured it was something like that. Well? What do you think of my daughter?"

"She's wonderful," Willow whispered, smiling at the infant. "She really is wonderful. She'll be as well-behaved as you."

Xanthos threw his head back, and laughed, then grinned back down at Willow. "Of course she will! Tsuki will end up reprimanding her! I _know_ that I'll be a horrible disciplinarian! After all, your daughter managed to discipline _me_, and always when I needed it the most!" He sighed, still smiling, and said, "She's acted like an older sister to me as long as we've known each other, even though she's two years my younger."

Willow reached up to rest her hand upon Rampage's, which was still upon her shoulder. He moved his hand to rest against her cheek, as he whispered, "You've done well, and nobody can say that you haven't. I'll threaten them, if they do."

Willow chuckled once, then replied, "Thank you."

He indicated towards his daughter, and Willow stood, to place Dawnblade in her adopted father's arms. "She's a lucky girl, to have you as a father."

"I hope she will be," Xanthos replied solemnly. "Now. Wrangler, show her all those places that Tsuki found beautiful. I think Willow needs that."

They were watching the sun set, when Willow sighed, and looked to Wrangler. "I wish that I had been here for the Reformatting. Me and my children both."

"What?" Wrangler hissed quietly. "Why? The humans went through pain that rivals what our daughter had to go through with all those tests."

"Wrangler . . . shut up and let me say this." Willow moved closer to Wrangler, so that she was kneeling before him, at his feet, since he was sitting with his legs stretched out. "I love you."

He sighed, and moved himself so that he was sitting closer to Willow. He paused, watched her face, then gathered her onto his lap, resting her head against his shoulder. "You have no idea how many nights I've laid awake, wishing, _hoping_, that you'd come back, that you'd say that, and that you'd stay to help raise Tsuki with me."

"I'm so sorry . . ."

"No, Willow, _I'm_ sorry. I didn't try to keep you here, and when you were gone, I didn't let myself forgive you for leaving."

"Wrangler . . ."

"You want to stay here, you can." He blinked, looked down at the slightly-subdued Willow, and said, "Oh, and I forgot to say that I love you, too."

She looked up at him in shock, saw his tease, and laughed, tackling him, and sitting upon his stomach, while he rested his hands underneath the back of his head, sighing. "I genuinely missed you, Willow. And I would hate to have you leave me again."

"Wrangler, is there _any_ way that . . . never mind."

The Predacon blinked, then asked, "That what? What is it?"

"Nothing."

"Willow, please, what is it? Is something wrong?" Wrangler asked, sitting up, causing the no-longer-young human to slide off his stomach, and onto the ground between his knees.

She shook her head. "Nothing's wrong. Just forget that I said that, okay?"

"But it's _bothering_ you, Willow. Bothering you enough that I can easily tell what it is."

The woman looked up at him sadly. "Then what is it?"

He smiled, and embraced her. "You want to be Cybertronian." Nodding, Willow's tears came free, and she sobbed into his chest, as he played with her straight, straight hair, and rested his chin upon her head. "Willow, you want to really be the mother of our daughter, don't you?"

"I've always wanted that," she sobbed out. "But I don't want to hurt my other children."

"I know."

Tsuki watched from across the clearing, sitting silently under a tree, behind her parents. She saw every movement they made, and heard everything they said. Finally, when she knew things were getting desperate, she stood, and walked silently over to them, to wrap her arms around both parents, and rested her forehead against her mother's. "There is a way."

Wrangler growled, slightly irritated. "Suu, didn't I give you the indication that I wanted to be alone with your mother for a while?"

"Yes, but I thought that it would be better to ignore you. Me and my warriors are still empathic, and I can't stand it when someone's hurting as much as Mom is."

The father chuckled, and kissed his daughter's cheek. "All right then, my little moon, what is it? What is this way that you know about?"

"The Oracle."

Willow opened her eyes, and looked at her daughter. "What about Tamm, Kat, and Annie?"

Tsuki blinked, then asked, "What is the age that they have to reach before they are considered adults?"

"Eighteen."

"And Tamm and Kat are eighteen, now, and Anwara is fourteen. So that means that the twins will be able to make that decision upon their own, whether or not they want to be human or Cybertronian, and Anwara has four years. I can talk to the Oracle about it, and let you know."

Willow watched her daughter. "You would do this for me?"

Tsuki smiled, and replied softly, "You're my mother, and they're my siblings. Why _wouldn't_ I do this for you?"

"Tsuki . . ."

"You can call me Suu, if you'd like. Hellcat was another of my nicknames."

Willow sighed, then said, "Once the divorce is final, and once everything is moved here–"

"You're moving here?!" Tsuki asked, leaning forward, closer to her mother, face bright with happiness.

Her mother smiled, nodded, and said, "So that I can be close to you."

"And Dad. I heard your words to each other."

Willow blushed, and Tsuki laughed, kissing her mother's cheek, and helping her to her feet. "You tell me what you want to do, and _only_ when you're completely certain. There's no way to un-do a Reformatting. I've asked the Oracle about that. And there's no way that you can keep a human form. It's one or the other, I'm sorry to say."

Willow nodded, and the three walked home.


	17. Chapter Fifteen

Taiyoo Soshite Tsuki  
(Sun and Moon)  
By: Sinead

Chapter Fifteen: Trial  
Old Cybertronian Year: 5879  
New Cybertronian Year: 3

Willow sighed, and knocked upon her daughter's door. Taiyoo opened it, and smiled. "Willow. Hello. What are you doing here?"

Tsuki passed the door, bouncing a squalling child gently. "Let her in, will you?"

Taiyoo winced, then opened the door wide for his mother-in-law to enter. Tsuki handed Tasogare to his father, and said, "Walk with him, please?"

"Yes, dear."

"You'll sleep on the couch if you keep that 'yes, dear' slag up."

Taiyoo chuckled, kissed his wife's cheek, and then walked into another room with the fussy one-year-old. Tsuki led her mother to a chair, and asked, "What's bothering you?"

"They want you to testify in the courts on Earth."

"Who brought this up?"

"Trent."

Tsuki blinked, then said, "Then I will."

Willow nodded, and then looked down, still quiet. Tsuki leaned closer, putting her hand upon her mother's shoulder, and whispered, "You never told me what caused you to have Anwara born premature. Something's telling me that this is important."

Willow swallowed, then started quietly. "Trent was angry, while we were driving back home from his parent's house. The twins were with a babysitter, and asleep, the last time I called." The mother sighed, and bit her lip. "He slammed into a telephone pole, on the passenger side . . . my side. I nearly lost Anwara."

Tsuki embraced the sobbing woman, and asked in a hard, angry tone, "Why have you stayed with him this long?"

"It was the only time he ever lost his temper."

"Was he charged with anything?"

"No. He . . . he didn't lie, but he didn't tell the whole truth."

"Momma . . . Mum, why didn't you tell me this?"

"I didn't want you to attack him when you met him. He . . . he really _was_ a good man . . ."

Tsuki sighed, and asked, "When's the court date?"

"Three weeks from today."

"Right. Enough time for planning."

Willow looked up at her daughter, who smiled, and said, "What? The kids have to have a good time, don't you think? Oh! Come on, then! You have to meet Shinri's triplets!"

Willow's face lit up, and it brightened even more, when Yoake toddled out of the room she and her brother slept in, and over to her grandmother. Tsuki smiled, as the one-year-old clung to Willow's knees, laughing and smiling. Willow picked the child up, and sat her upon her lap. "I will, once Tasogare's quieted down a bit. What did Shinri have?"

"Two sons and a daughter."

"Beautiful! What are their names?"

"Well, the daughter was named by the father, and her name is Verdad, Spanish for truth. She's her mother's namesake, in that sense. The two boys were named by their mother. The oldest's name is Tempestadacero–"

"Spanish for Stormsteel," Willow said, smiling. "I can speak almost fluent Spanish."

Tsuki laughed, and said, "The youngest boy's name is Riesgo."

"Risk? Oh! Hazard!"

Tsuki nodded, and Taiyoo walked back out, his son still wailing. Willow handed Yoake to Tsuki, and then took the child from his father, and resting him against one shoulder, gently forcing him to lay his head down, while patting his back, while speaking gently. "Now that's enough of you for the while, Tasogare. You're tired, and you know that you need to sleep."

Taiyoo blinked, as Tasogare reduced his crying to a few drowsy grumbles, which ceased altogether after a few more moments. He took his son back, and then asked, "How did you do that?"

"I've had three children. Tamm was the fussy one, and that always worked with him."

"Oh. Right."

Tsuki laughed, and picked Yoake up, to open the door. "Come on, you said that you'll meet those triplets."

"I bet she has her hands full!" Willow said, laughing.

"Oh, you have _no_ idea . . ."

Earth

". . . and so I request that Tsuki testifies."

The judge nodded, and watched, as the attorney turned to face Tsuki, who handed her son to Kelsi, and walked forward to stand upon a small pedestal. A small man walked up, holding a book. She blinked at him, and he said, "You have to swear upon the Bible that you will not lie."

"I'm not a simpleton. Please do not address me as such. Nor am I human anymore. I swear by Cybertron, its past, present, and future, as well as those who reside upon it. I swear by my Spark, my life and soul, and by my and my husband's honor. I swear by my children's lives. I do _not_ swear upon a human object."

The judge coughed, hiding a chuckle. "Forgive Bramwill, Tsuki. He's filling in, and had no clue of your background. Our ususal secretary caught the flu."

Tsuki blinked at him, then looked back up at the judge. Willow had said that he was a good man, and so it most certainly seemed to be true. "Ah. That explains his white face, hm?"

"Correct. Bramwill, please sit."

"Yes, Your Honor."

Her father's attorney walked up to the pedestal, the seven-inches-high as it was, and glared up at the Predacon. "You are the daughter of Willow, are you not?"

"Affirmative."

"How is that possible? She is human, and you are not."

Tsuki sighed, then said, "Twenty-six years ago, experiments were done by the Tripredacus Council, to try to combine the human and the Cybertronian race. They wanted to create the perfect killing machines. But they got us, and we were raised by our parents, which was their biggest mistake. Willow is my mother, and Wrangler is my father."

"This 'Wrangler' . . . is he present?"

"Unfortunately," Wrangler said, standing, holding Tasogare.

The attorney glanced up at the judge, who was unruffled by Wrangler's obvious distaste for the fact of being here. The judge asked, "Sir, is the child you are holding Tsuki's?"

"Yes."

Smiling, Judge Niven looked down at Tsuki. "He looks like he's a good child."

Tsuki smiled. "He has his moments, like every kid."

Judge Niven nodded, once, then said, "Please continue."

The attorney was irritated at being interrupted. Wrangler sat, and the human continued. "Did you ever know your mother?"

"Not until two years ago."

"Were you allowed to see her, if you wanted to?"

"Yes, but I've lived a busy life, so I had literally no time to meet her. Anyway, she was officially banned from returning, since she so-called 'gave up' on me, until I was twenty-one."

"Aah, so she _did_ give up on you?"

Tsuki glared at him fiercely, black eyes darkening even _further_. "I never said that. She never gave up on me. She wasn't ready for the responsibility of raising a child, even _with_ a partner to help her along."

"Yet she left your father."

"He's older than her. He was, what, twenty-nine? No . . . by Terran standards, he was thirty. She was sixteen."

"That's rape!"

Wrangler sighed, and groaned, sagging into the bench. Tsuki closed her eyes, and said, "My mother entered that compound as a virgin, and she left as one. She was not raped. Violated, yes, but not raped."

"Fine. Did you know that she left you?"

"Always. Yes. But I knew as a fact that she must have had a legitimate reason to do so."

"So your judgement upon her is . . . ?"

"Judgement?" Tsuki asked, blinking. "I try not to judge people. I've made some serious mistakes in my life, as has everyone else I know. Nobody's perfect, and nobody can judge another _perfectly_. But isn't this about whether or not my siblings can stay with our mother?"

"My next question," the attorney said, walking back to his notes, and picking one up. Tsuki graced Trent with a glare, then turned her attention back to his legal representative, who had cleared his throat. "Do you feel that your mother is able to take care of Katrina, Tamm, and Anwara?"

"Definitely."

"Any reasons?"

Tsuki sighed, then heard a hushed, "Yoake! Get back here!"

Judge Niven smiled, and nodded, as Tsuki looked up at him. She turned, and picked up her daughter, who had half-crawled, half-walked up to her. Yoake giggled, and Tsuki said, "Reasons? I saw how desperate she was to make things right between me and her. I saw how her twins, Katrina and Tamm, reacted to me when they first heard that I was their elder sister. I saw how open Anwara was to meeting me, after hearing about me for years. I saw how those very children love their niece and nephew, and show genuine love for not only me, but their brother-in-law, Taiyoo, my husband. They love Wrangler, they love Kelsi and Satsujinhan'nin, Taiyoo's parents. They were _taught_ not to judge, not to care about appearances, as most human children are subconsciously taught. They were raised mainly by their mother, as their father had been working most of their childhood, leaving Willow to take care of their children by herself. So yes, I feel that she is utterly and completely capable of taking care of Katrina, Tamm, and Anwara."

The attorney was silent for a few moments more, then asked quietly, "Were you aware that there was a lie-tester on?"

"Yes."

"Everything you said passed."

"It should. I hate lying."

The man blinked, then said, "I am satisfied with your answers."

Trent stood. "_I'm_ not!"

His attorney sighed, and asked, "Were you aware that your mother was planning to live upon Cybertron?"

"Yes."

"With her children as well?"

"Again, yes."

"Were you aware that–"

His face went white, as he stared past Tsuki, and at the door. The Predacon femme turned, then sighed, and said, "Xanthos, sit, will you?"

"Can't. Troops are moving in around the premises."

Judge Niven stood, and said, "Everyone stay seated!"

Kelsi and Satsujinhan'nin stood, with Kelsi handing Tasogare to Katrina. Taiyoo also stood, while Tsuki handed Yoake to Anwara. They looked at the judge, who sighed, and nodded. He led them, with Xanthos, to the entrance, where a decorated general was standing, waiting for them. He blinked at them dully. "I am here to take Project X into custody while he remains here upon Earth, for the well-being of the citizens here."

Wailing was heard, and Xanthos turned, seeing Willow with his adopted daughter. She walked up to him, and handed her to him, while he smiled down at her crying face. "Aah, hush, you."

She whimpered quietly, as babies do, and he sighed. "Hungry again. Tsuki, do your children eat as much as my daughter does?"

The general's face was showing his complete shock at that statement. Tsuki nodded. "At that age, all they want is attention, food, and sleep."

"Primus . . . she's going to be a ball of energy when she's able to walk."

Satsujinhan'nin chucked, and said, "Of course."

Judge Niven looked at the General. "Who gave you this order?"

"The Pentagon."

"Then they are watching?"

"Yes."

"Well. Then they see that he is apparently no longer the murderer he once was."

Xanthos looked at them. "I was used against my will, on Bases Omicron and Rugby. A behavior controlling chip was the cause. I had no choice, no free will. I was a tool."

The General nodded. "Then we will remain here, to protect _you_ and your comrades from the public."

Kelsi blinked. "How so?"

The General indicated a group of cameramen, cameras focused upon the small group. Taiyoo sighed, and Tsuki chuckled. "Aah, so be it. Thank you, General, for your concern."

Niven nodded, and said, "Back to the courtroom, please, so we may finish."

When they re-entered the room, the attorney said, "I have no more questions for Tsuki."

Tsuki nodded, and sat with her family, holding Tasogare upon her lap. The judge looked from Trent to his lawyer, then asked, "Are there any more people you would call to stand?"

Trent stood, and said, "Kelsi, who was Willow's best friend when they were children."

Judge Niven sighed, and looked at a screen in front of him. The jury would be seeing no more witnesses called to the stand. "Denied. The jury have made their decision."

Kelsi and Tsuki exchanged a worried look. Willow stood, and said, "Before you go on, may _I_ testify?"

Niven nodded, after a moment. "Please do, however, why do you ask to do so?"

Once she was upon the small podium, Willow replied, "My daughter, Tsuki, urged me to bring up a fact that hadn't been looked at. She wanted me to say this, about why my daughter Anwara was born premature, by caesarean section." Taking a deep breath, she said, "The car accident was intentional, upon Trent's behalf."

Anwara looked at her mother in disbelief, and then looked at her father in growing shock and fear. Her stomach roiled, and Tsuki handed her son off, to grab Anwara's elbow, and rush her from the room and into a nearby bathroom. Willow heard the small commotion behind her, but didn't turn. "Trent wouldn't say that he lost control of his temper. He just wouldn't. All he said was that he lost control, and people assumed that it was the car he was talking about."

Judge Niven stood. "Madam, please sit! Trent, to the podium _immediately_!"

"Are you all right?"

"I'm gonna be sick again . . ."

"I have your hair, don't worry."

Anwara sat upon the floor of the stall, with Tsuki beside her, and wiped her mouth off on a piece of toilet paper. She looked at her trembling hands, then whispered, "Was it the truth?"

"That blue light turns red when the person is lying."

"It stayed blue."

"Yes. Besides, has your mother ever lied to you?"

"No, but . . . why did he do that?"

"I don't know."

The door opened, and Kelsi walked into the stall, to look at her daughter-in-law's sister, and to hold her hand out. "Here. Your grandmother asked me to bring you a few mints, to get the taste out of your mouth."

Anwara took them, and Kelsi rested her hand upon the twelve-year-old's shoulder. "They're all waiting for you in there. Judge Niven wants you to hear this."

Nodding, Anwara stood, and Tsuki rested her arm around her younger sister's shoulders, comforting her as they walked beck towards the courtroom. Cameras were rolling, as they exited the bathroom. Tsuki sighed, and growled, "If you value your lives, stop filming, and let. Us. Through."

The media backed off to the end of the hall, letting them enter the large room. Anwara stood tall, only her slightly-flushed face revealing that she had thrown up. Katrina and Tamm let her sit between them, each of them either holding her hand, or resting an arm around her shoulders. Tsuki sat with her husband, who had both children upon his lap. Both were quiet, and both were watching her with solemn eyes. _Taiyoo . . ._

_They're empathic. They're also father developed than other children their age._

_I never thought . . ._

_That it would be passed on?_

_Yes._

_Well, it doesn't matter, anyway. Here, you take Tasogare again._

She did, and looked up at the lie detector. Judge Niven said, "Say that again."

"I lost control of the car."

The light turned red. Anwara was shaking.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

The light stayed red.

"Your ex-wife said that you were angry at something, that you wouldn't let her know about. Care to share that with us?"

"No."

The light flickered blue.

"Then you _will_ share it with us, or I shall hold you in contempt of this court. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Your Honor."

"Then explain. Now."

Trent sighed, and glared at the ground. "I was losing control of my funds, and we didn't need a third child. I didn't _want_ a third child."

Satsujinhan'nin was about to get up and go after the man, but Kelsi held his hand, keeping him sitting where he was. He swallowed, and balled his hands into fists, releasing Kelsi's hand, and would have squeezed them tighter, but his wife took them back in her own hands, and forced him to open his fingers. She held his hands in her own, as they looked at the blue light.

Willow was white . . . and was starting to go into shock. Wrangler stood and ran over to her, ignoring Trent's glare, as he rested his hand upon Willow's shoulder, and made her look at him. "Willow, snap out of it. Listen to me, Willow."

She hid her face in her hands, and whispered, "I never even thought . . ."

"Willow, look at me."

She pulled her hands away from her face slowly, and Wrangler took them in his own hands, wiping away the tears, before saying, "Don't lose yourself like you were about to. Anwara needs to see you as a strong mother. Our daughter is trembling with rage, and close to going into shock, but Taiyoo won't allow her to. _She_ won't allow herself to do that. Anwara needs strong people around her right now. Can you do that?"

Willow took a deep breath in, as the noise of the courtroom rose even louder, masking her words. "I . . . I think so."

Wrangler sighed, smiled gently, and said, "That's my girl."

"I've _always_ been your girl," Willow said, smiling faintly.

Finally, the room was brought back to order. Wrangler pressed his hand upon Willow's once, then straightened, and walked back to his seat. Judge Niven sighed, and looked at the screen. Another jury, higher up, had been briefed upon the situation, as was watching the transmission now. Their verdict came up, and he stood. "Trent, you are under arrest for attempted murder, for assault and battery, and violent misuse of a vehicle."

Two police officers came in, and stood upon either side of him. Niven looked at Willow, who stood, with her hands clasped in front of her. "Willow, you have full custody over your children. There will be no visitation with their father at all. Seven years from now, the case will be reevaluated, but I doubt that a change will be made. Dismissed."

Trent was fairly dragged from the room.

It was over.

Katrina, Tamm, and Anwara ran to their mother again, once they were at their house. The family embraced, with the youngest in the center, shedding tears. She looked up at Tsuki and Wrangler, who both came over. The male Predacon rested his hand upon her head once, then whispered, "You did well, Anwara. Everyone's proud of you."

She nodded, and Tsuki kissed his sister's forehead. "I found out that my siblings are cute even when they're puking their guts up."

That brought a small smile, and the younger girl looked up at Wrangler, asking, "Can . . . would you mind . . . if I called you 'Dad'?"

The twins smiled at their mother, then at her once-partner. "Can _we?"_

Wrangler looked at them, pleasantly shocked, then at Tsuki, who was smiling. He smiled, nodding, turning back to the three children. "Only if you really want to. Tsuki knows that I'm a rough task-maker."

"Yeah, he's bad about chores, since he's lazy, but not all that bad overall," Tsuki said, smirking.

Anwara held her arms up to him, and he picked her up in an embrace, much like he used to do with Tsuki. "It'll be nice, having a little girl again. Two of them . . . and I've always wanted a son." Willow was crying, and Wrangler set Anwara back down, to embrace her mother. "And _you_, little miss, are getting food, then sleep. And a hug."

"And a kiss!" the four siblings chorused.

The parents glared at them, then complied, causing whistles among the rest of the adopted family. Kelsi yelled out impudently, "Kiss 'er again!"

Her life-partner blinked at her, then grumbled, "And you say that Taiyoo gets it from _me_."

The packing for Willow to return to Cybertron began. And this time, things could only get better from here on in.


End file.
